Updated November 2026.
Edisto Beach is one of the best places on the East Coast to find fossil shark teeth. Some people swear it’s impossible, while others fill a jar every vacation. The difference is knowing when, where and what to look for.
Why Edisto Has So Many Shark Teeth
The teeth you find on Edisto aren’t from sharks swimming offshore today. They’re fossils, often hundreds of thousands to millions of years old, from ancient sharks that lived when this coast was under a shallow sea. Over time they turned dark gray or black as minerals replaced the original tooth. Erosion and the sand pumped onto the beach in renourishment projects bring fossil-rich sediment up onto the shore, where waves sort the heavy teeth into the shell beds.
When to Look
- At low tide, especially the two hours before and after, when the most beach is exposed. Check the Edisto tide chart.
- After a storm, a big swell or a king tide, when waves churn up fresh shell beds.
- In the off-season, when fewer people have picked the beach over. Winter and early spring are favorites with serious hunters.
Where to Look
- In the shell hash. Look along the lines of broken shell and gravel at the high-tide line and in the wet sand just above the surf.
- Near the groins. The shell beds that collect around the groins lining the beach are a classic spot, but stay off the rocks themselves.
- Toward the north end, along the state park beach toward Jeremy Inlet, where many locals hunt.
- Not at Botany Bay. It’s a heritage preserve, and collecting shark teeth, fossils or shells there is prohibited. Collecting rules inside state parks can be stricter than on the town beach, so ask the park if you’re unsure.
How to Spot One
- Look for shiny black. Fossil teeth are usually black, gray or brown and have a glossy enamel shine that catches the light, like a chip of black onyx.
- Look for the shape: a triangle or a thin point on top of a thicker root. Most Edisto teeth are the size of a fingernail or smaller.
- Walk slowly and scan a small patch at a time, with the sun behind you. Crouching or kneeling helps.
- Test it. A tooth feels hard and smooth. If it crumbles or flakes, it’s a shell fragment.
- Train your eye. Have someone drop a known tooth near you so you can see what one looks like in the sand. After the first find, the rest come much more easily.
What Kind of Shark Was It?
Common finds on Edisto come from sand tigers, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads. Lucky hunters occasionally find a piece of a giant megalodon tooth. Identification cards and books sold in local shops will help you match your find.
More Edisto beachcombing: Shell Island, what washes up on Edisto’s shore and the Edisto bucket list. Curious about today’s sharks? See sharks at Edisto Beach.
