My vacation in Florida fossil hunting adventure

[lukecreekwalker]

Me and the wifey went to Venice Florida for vacation this past week. She gets her beach, I get my interest in the past. Venice is the shark tooth capital of the world. We had a nice team system going at the expense of our lower backs. I would use the scooper and she would sift. We found over 100 teeth. Also went on a guided fossil hunt in a creek here in Florida. We found some Megalodon teeth as well as several other nice fossils, and I got to walk a creek here in Florida. It was a win win for me. I will definitely be doing the guided tour every single time I am down in Florida. Quickly found out that finding a Meg (even small ones) is just as good as pulling an arrowhead. Same thrill for sure.

[Hoss]

Wow you guys did good. Love the picture of the Heron

[lukecreekwalker]

That thing was seriously 4 feet tall... and not afraid of me haha. It was scanning the ocean for food. I grabbed my phone and just walked up to it and it did not care at all

[Scorpion68]

Luke - Really nice pictures, especially of the crane on the beach. The central/southern part of Florida is an excellent area for shark teeth. I've seen some from the Orlando area that were totally black and 2.5" across at the base. You sure found a bunch of em and they will make a nice addition to your collection. Maybe not artifacts but definitely prehistoric fossils. Nice work and it sounds like you really enjoyed your vacation. ...Chuck

[lukecreekwalker]

Chuck Florida is my wife and I's favorite vacation spot. We have been to a different beach every year we've been together. So far Cocoa, Sanibel, Destin, Venice. Favorite has been Sanibel but we got a lot more to visit

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Mike, Great tooth hunt. I like the crane photo. Is it a Sandhill Crane?

[lukecreekwalker]

Dunno the type other than BIG haha. Thanks Ron.

[Scorpion68]

I think that a Blue Heron crane. The Sandhill has a larger body and shorter bill.

[sailorjoe]

Hey Ron, it is a Great Blue Heron as compared to the Little Blue Heron. Herons and cranes belong to different groups of birds, although many folks use the term interchangeably. As far as I know here in N. America we have only two species of cranes, the Sandhill and the Whooping. There are several species of herons. (And I thought I retired. lol)

[2ndoldman]

Thanks for the pics and the story.
Tell us more about the guided tour. We're you digging or just eyeballing the teeth on the tour?

[lukecreekwalker]

Waded through a creek with a shovel feeling for this magic 2 inch layer of rock that contained the fossils. Once we found a seam we sifted shovels of material. It was on a privately owned farm. Paleo Discoveries. I will be doing this every time I visit Florida from now on

[Kyflintguy]

Thats just awesome. I'd love to find some of those! Thanks for sharing that adventure!

[clovisoid]

You did really well on the larger teeth. I've spent quite a few days on the Peace river (little more than 2 hours northwest of me) and you have to move a lot of gravel to get teeth like that. (Side creeks on private property are usually better, and the guides have access to those.) If you haven't done a scuba trip, there are quite a few outfits that take you for the day. You start with some basic scuba lessons and then they take you out to the fossil beds off shore. Great teeth are few and far between, but there is so much bone and material out there to pick up that you'll have fun.

[lukecreekwalker]

We just did a walking tour with a guide in my native habitat...a creek haha. You are spot on with the moving a lot of rock. I shoveled like a mad man for 6 hours straight

[TSUMS]

I wish the picture were bigger..it almost looks like a Wurdermans heron.....it's like a cross between a great blue heron on and a great egret...

[TSUMS]