South Carolina boasts 187 miles of contiguous coastline and over 2876 miles of tidal shoreline. Playing on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach or sailing off the coast of Hilton Head are popular pastimes. Many walk her pristine beaches searching for seashells, sandollars, or a few minutes of solitude.
But the Palmetto state is famous for another beachy treasure – shark teeth.
Over 40 shark species swim in the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina. A large area from Charleston to North Myrtle Beach is home to four different hammerhead shark species. This isn’t to scare or deter you from swimming in the shores – it’s to show you another fun beach activity you and your family can enjoy while here.
I loved making necklaces from my shark teeth found as a kid and now, I keep them all in a jar in my bedroom as a unique decoration.
Low tide is the best time to hunt. Shark teeth often lurk in shell beds and where the waves break. Tides are especially important to shark teeth hunters as the water continuously replenishes the fossil supply.
So, if timed just right and with a bit of patience, the perfect shark tooth find is just around the corner. In fact, South Carolina has some of the best beaches to find shark teeth along the Atlantic coast.
These are our 9 best beaches for finding shark teeth in South Carolina.
1. Folly Beach
Folly Beach is a popular stretch to hunt for shark teeth and seashells. This beloved tourist spot also rivals Venice Beach, Florida, as a top destination for shark tooth hunters.
Last year, Garden and Sun named it one of the best places in the south to find shark teeth.
Adventurers are best to start their search at low tide. However, it is usually quality over quantity. Locals advise searching the sands directly south of the pier. However, others recommend concentrating sifting efforts between the 2nd and 5th streets, east of the pier. Whatever side hunters choose, the winter months are often the most successful.
2. Central Myrtle Beach
If Myrtle Beach is a part of your weekend getaway, save an hour to go beachcombing for shark teeth. Keep to the avenues between 50th North and 10th South.
Although the beach here can get really active, the tides help keep this area supplied with small to medium-sized specimens for a shark teeth collection. South Carolina sand is soft, so sifting through the grains earns the best results.
3. Murrells Inlet
Murrells Inlet sits south of Myrtle Beach. As a long-standing fishing village, it has earned the moniker of seafood capital of South Carolina.
The area is fertile ground for fossil hunting, a combination of tidal pools, inlets, and marshes. One of the best places in South Carolina to seek shark teeth and sand dollars is the nearby Huntington Beach State Park.
In the Lowcountry, alligators are sometimes spotted in the marshy terrain or on the beaches around Murrells Inlet. Hunters should always keep a weathered eye while digging for toothy-gold.
4. Pawleys Island
Shark toothin’, as aficionados from the south sometimes refer to the hobby, is common on the beaches of Pawleys Island, an elongated barrier island protecting the inner marshes along Wayaha Bay and River from Long Bay.
Visitors tend to walk the island’s southern beaches. But locals know that the best finds are closer to the islet on the western side of the island. It may take time, but teeth found on Pawleys Island are usually larger and well worth the extra effort.
5. Morris Island
Directly off Folly Beach is an 840-acre-beachcombers-mecca known as Shark Tooth Island. The isolated Morris Island can be reached by kayak, canoe, small boat, or through an experienced tour operator such as Charleston Fossil Adventures.
Uninhabited, the area is within Charleston Harbor and is considered a dental treasure chest of megalodon (and other) shark species. Paleontologists estimate the ginormous shark dominated the Earth’s oceans during the Miocene Era, from 23 million to just over 2 million years ago. Fossilized shark teeth are often dated approximately two to three million years old and range in size from three to seven inches long.
Megalodons are iconic along the barrier islands. Their large fossilized teeth are also found in North Carolina on Holden Beach. In Georgia, the megalodon tooth has been named the “state fossil.”
This beach is also considered one of the state’s quietest beaches, making it a great place for a long walk with few interruptions (other than your fossil finds).
6. Crab Bank
The beaches around the 22-acre Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary are known to be a good place to collect shark teeth, especially at low tide. The protected area is in Charleston Harbor, just inside the mouth of Shem Creek.
Shark tooth hunters can access the area by kayak or foot and are welcome just below the high tide mark. But the sanctuary is closed from March through October to protect nesting waterbirds. The preserve is open to the public during the fall and winter months, from October through the beginning of March.
Crab Bank is one of the few places shark tooth fanatics can not bring their family pup, as dogs are considered a danger to the bird population.
7. Drum Island
A small island in Charleston Harbor, north of the Ravinel Bridge, Drum Island is beautiful. Covered with foliage and wildlife, it is also a good place to find small contemporary shark teeth and fossilized medium-sized shark teeth from Carcharodon Angustidens.
Some say it can be reached by kayak through Town Creek (about two miles), but the best and easiest way to the island is to charter a boat for a day trip.
8. Edisto Beach
The South Carolina town of Edisto Beach has 37 beaches and is well known as one of the best beaches for shark tooth expeditions. The South Edisto Inlet shoreline is a good place to begin a search. as it has a concentration of teeth from the Edisto Beach Deposit. This glacial sediment sits just offshore of Edisto Island and is dated to the Pleistocene.
Edisto Beach shark teeth are small but blanket the beach, especially near shale piles and intertwined with the driftwood. As a South Carolina state park, there is a small charge to access Edisto Beach.
9. Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove Beach is located in North Myrtle Beach, near the North Carolina border. It is a particular favorite for happy hunting of shark teeth as it is a quieter area with fewer people dredging up the sands.
Locals always start near the Cherry Grove Pier for the most successful expeditions, as this is often called shark tooth territory.
If you’re traveling with a large group and are looking for a comfortable place to stay in North Myrtle Beach, these vacation rentals are just what you’re looking for.
Identifying a Shark Tooth
A real shark tooth can be identified by its triangular shape and glossy black or dark brown color. A key identifier is the row of small ridges along the tooth edges. The average shark tooth size is between 0.5 and 2 inches. The highly prized megalodon tooth ranges in size from 3.5 to 7 inches.
A Well-equipped Shark Tooth Hunting Toolkit
From Virginia to Florida’s sun-bleached shores, hobbyists know that few simple things are needed to ensure a well-equipped shark tooth-hunting toolkit.
Whether planned or spontaneous, each expedition should include:
- A small container to collect specimens
- A small sand scoop
- An inexpensive strainer to sift through the sand and shale.
Most well-equipped kits also contain coral-safe sunscreen and a small towel. An all-purpose first aid kit may come in handy for emergencies, as the teeth can be sharp.
Beachcombing for Shark Teeth in South Carolina
Collecting shark teeth on South Carolina beaches is legal. However, a hobby license is needed to dig in embankments, below tide lines, or scuba dive for shark teeth fossils. This inexpensive license is also required for anyone looking to collect megalodon teeth.
Sharks are long-lived, growing and replacing thousands of teeth. This perpetually renewing resource encourages shark tooth hunters who haunt South Carolina shorelines searching for the ultimate fossilized sea treasures.