Other fossil diving areas?

[Brian2828]

Other than a few areas in the Southeast US, I haven't come across any dive sites where divers routinely find fossils. Are there any other locations in the world that have abundant, easily accessible fossils? If not, what makes this area so unique?

 

[Walter]

I can't answer for the SE US, but Venice isn't that different from other parts of Florida. There are fossils (and fossil clubs finding fossils) all over the state. People find fossils in quarries, in construction sites, in rivers and streams, etc. All you have to do to find fossils in Florida is dig and look or look where someone (or something) else is digging. Rivers and streams dig all the time.

Sea level has been much higher and much lower than it is today. There were times when Florida was completely underwater. There were other times when Florida was much larger than it is today extending much farther out into the Gulf. If we find an area, like off shore Venice, that was the site of an ancient river, we are likely to find fossils while diving.

 

[Lee Taylor]

What makes this area so unique?

Florida does not have as much overburden as other areas. The overburden is the soil covering the layers of the earth that contain fossils. There are just as many fossils in other areas they are just not exposed as readily due to more overburden.

 

[j2s]

Depends on what you mean by "easily accessible"....NC has fossil ledges of it's coast which are very 'divable', SC has the Cooper River ['LOOOW' viz but doable] and GA. has areas that are divable where fossils are regularly found......