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Why This Stretch of Florida Is Covered in Shark Teeth

If you’ve never done this before, it sounds almost made up: you walk into ankle-deep water, scoop up some sand, and there are shark teeth in it. Here’s the actual reason why.

Millions of years ago, during the Miocene epoch, most of Florida was underwater, covered by a warm, shallow sea packed with marine life, sharks included. Sharks constantly shed and regrow teeth their whole lives, so an enormous number of them settled into the seafloor over time. That layer, called the Peace River Formation, sits close to the surface along this stretch of coast, and constant wave action slowly erodes it, releasing fossilized teeth onto the beach pretty much every day. It’s part of why Venice calls itself the Shark Tooth Capital of the World, and Manasota, Caspersen, and Venice Beach all sit on the same fossil-rich shelf.

What’s wild to me is that my home beach on Anna Maria Island is only about 30 miles north as the crow flies, and we almost never find teeth there. It really does come down to this specific stretch of coastline and how the fossil layer erodes here versus everywhere else nearby.

Why We Chose Manasota Over Caspersen Beach

Caspersen Beach is the most talked-about spot for this, but the parking lot there is currently unavailable, so we went with Manasota instead, which I’d call a very solid choice. It has plenty of parking, lifeguards, showers, and bathrooms, all of which matter a lot more once you’ve got toddlers in tow. We walked about five minutes down the beach to get away from the crowd near the entrance and set up there.

What You Actually Need

• A sand shovel/scooper built for exactly this. You can also use a small plastic one if that’s what you have!
• A sifter (the little plastic ones that come with basic beach toy sets work totally fine)
• A floating shark tooth sifter if you want one, which made a real difference for me specifically since I was managing kids in the waves at the same time. My friend didn’t have one and did just fine, so it’s a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
• Life jackets for any non-swimmers in your group. This was probably my best tip of the day. Get your toddler in a life jacket and you can actually be hands-free while you dig.

How to Actually Find Teeth

You can find teeth just walking along the sand, and we did pick up a couple that way. But we had by far the best luck right at the edge of the water, where there’s a little sand and shell shelf and the waves break. Take your shovel, scoop some of that sand and shell mixture into your sifter, sift the loose sand away, and look for small black triangles left behind. Once you know what you’re looking for, you start spotting them fast.

We found a huge range of teeth in an hour, all on the smaller side, but people do find megalodon teeth in this area, so keep an eye out for anything unusually large. We also came home with a fossilized puffer fish mouth plate and what I’m fairly confident was a fossilized stingray barb, so it’s not just sharks you might walk away with.

Where to Eat After

We headed north to Nokomis for lunch at Pop’s Sunset Grill, which turned out to be a great call. It’s kid-friendly, we sat close to the water, and the kids stayed entertained watching dolphins and boats go by while we ate.

A few other kid-friendly spots in the area worth trying:

• Dockside Waterfront Grill – Waterfront seating and a relaxed, family vibe.
• Nokomo’s Sunset Hut – Casual and easygoing, good if you want something low-key after a beach morning.
• Sharky’s on the Pier – A Venice classic right on the Gulf, with a laid-back setup that’s easy with kids.

More to Do Nearby

If you want to extend the day, Centennial Park in downtown Venice has a great splash pad and playground, an easy stop to let the kids run off any extra energy after a morning of digging in the sand.

I also haven’t made it to Wellen Park myself yet, but it’s on my list. From what I’ve read, downtown Wellen Park is built around an 80-acre lake with a splash pad, playgrounds, a 2.8-mile walking trail, and kayak and paddleboard rentals right on the water, plus a mix of casual and sit-down restaurants. It sounds like a strong option either paired with a beach day or as its own outing, and I’ll update this once we’ve actually been.

Looking for more Florida day trip ideas? Browse everything under Florida with Kids.

Planning something bigger than a day trip? Email me at madison@thefamilytakeoff.com and tell me where you’re headed.

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