Any fossilers wanna show off some photos?

[Lee Taylor]

I sure would like to see some photos of sharks teeth (or any fossils for that matter). Wondering about what fossilers picked up in 2011?

I only got in a few dives (5 trips) this past season. I did pick up an excellent, golden colored larger Meg (over 4"). Good condition too! Another find was 4"x7" pristine Mastadon tooth. Almost forgot, I did pick up a 2" jewel of a tooth. Polished up stunningly. Hard to find a flaw in it. Gave it to my daughter. She loved it!

I am hoping to do some more fossiling in 2012. Not really sure yet where I will be headed. May head down to Florida. Got south Venice, the Suwanee and the Peace rivers, in the back of my mind. I found a guy locally that does 3hr tours in the local creeks. I think I will stomp around and sift a bit with him until the warmer weather arrives. I think I may run the Edisto river some early on in the season and see if I can stumble on some gravel beds. (now where did I put that GPS?)

 

[j2s]

If you do make it down to Venice, Florida, go S. of the pier...It's a longer ride out of the inlet but you stand a better chance of finding more and better 'stuff' than just outside of the inlet [where people normally go].....Until that area gets a few good storms to churn up the bottom and uncover new layers it's hard to find anything 'cause it's so picked over.....People do find 'stuff' but it's getting harder.....Also the 'viz' tends to be better S. of the pier......Too much 'out-flow' of silt from the inlet......Depending on temp, weather and viz, especially viz which has been eradict last couple of years, end of March, April and mid-May have usually been good months [found a perfect 6" in May !!!....Later than that and everybody in the world is out there diving/looking.......Been trying to dive NC, fossil ledges for several years now but keep getting "blown-out"....Understand due to deeper water and need for nitrox the ledges there aren't as picked over and they regularly find large teeth.......If their site is still up go to Spearitcharters.com.....It has a nice video.......PM me if you need more info.....I'll try to post pics of fossils but I usually sell/donate what I find, just enjoy finding not collecting.......

 

[Lee Taylor]

Hello J2,

I have been fossiling for 15 yrs so I watch the produce as opposed to believing the claims. I am a big fan of diving virgin territory. I don't have much interest in Meg ledge offshore Wilmington NC. I am older, sold my ponies (one NC shop, that charters Meg ledge, said they are going to make a pony a mandate), don't like bouncy rides (grew up diving the NC grave-yard of the Atlantic), don't like LONG boat rides, don't like short bottom times, and much prefer quality over size. I enjoy holding and admiring HUGE Megs and I know how important size is (regardless of ripped off enamel, broken corners, etc) to LOTS of fossilers. High quality is more my thing, regardless of size.

A popular Venice dive charter captain told me the same thing you mention concerning time of the season. In contrast, I think any time of the season is fine if you are on a productive virgin spot.

There are a lot of Meg teeth to be had diving Meg ledge. I know that to be true. BUT, I can dive the rivers around Charleston at 10, 15, 30 feet, take three tanks and a Hookah, and stay on the bottom literally all day. The teeth found in the rivers around Charleston and south of Charleston are much higher quality than what I see coming in from offshore. Again, it depends on what one likes. I personally will put a small quality tooth in my collection and turn around and sell a MUCH larger partial tooth with enamel tears. That is just my personal style. Love to see those pics...

 

[j2s]

Here's some of the 'stuff' from Venice.........

 

[davetowz]

Had an awesome weekend in the Cooper in 2011, pulled 8 dives and bagged up pretty good. Others in my group did much better. The Cooper River is awesome.

 

[Lee Taylor]

wow wow wow... j2 you have one tooth in the bunch I am seeing as a $500 specimen. Care to guess which one I am looking at? Very nice quality within all the photos. You put in the time underwater. I can see it. I imagine a lot of frags came along with these.

Really nice Dave. I see eight that draw my attention right off the top. Its funny seeing those bones. I think ALL fossilers have carried home these exact same bones at some time or another. I like hearing that the teeth came from the Cooper. Being local, I have dove the Cooper a LOT. The Cooper holds some monster Megs but one has to convince the boat captain to go to a virgin spot. For safety reasons boat Captains prefer tried, true, blue, old reliable spots. (which is understandable).

Here are some of the spots we have dove. Talking to some old timers (actually older than me) I have learned that this area has been dove for the past 50 years.

 

[Mud&Rox]

I actually just crawled out of the Cooper over the New Years weekend....Haven't had time to go over everything (or find my camera yet) but Ill get some pics up from our dives this weekend.....good teeth are still out there.....pics soon!

 

[darkwaterdivr]

Here are a couple from a few weeks ago. Me and three buddies hit the Morgan, Maye, and Battery Creek and had a great trip. We ended up with four teeth over 6" and a several over 5". One of my friends also found a giant sloth claw that was pretty cool.

 

[SPEARIT]

I don't get emotionly attached to the teeth we find so I don't keep many onhand, but here's a few from this season. Yes, they're all looking for homes.

 

[Mud&Rox]

ok here is one tanks worth....

really nice Horse tooth....

best from that dive....

total haul from one tank....