RELODECOR Beachcombing Shark Tooth Sifter
This lightweight 14.5" x 11" shark tooth mesh sifter is made from PVC and pool floaties, so it floats! The fine mesh makes it easy to sift and hunt for shark teeth.
View on AmazonPeace River Fossil Hunting Guide: Shark Teeth and Ice Age Fossils
Use this guide to plan a Peace River fossil hunting trip in Florida, including where to look, how to check river levels, what permits are needed, and how to identify shark teeth, megalodon teeth, ray plates, dugong bones, and Ice Age mammal fossils.
Key Takeaway: The Peace River is one of Florida's classic fossil hunting rivers. Collectors sift gravel bars and shallow river deposits for fossil shark teeth, megalodon teeth, ray material, dugong bones, turtle fragments, and Ice Age mammals washed from Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene sediments.
Peace River Florida
Quick Facts for Peace River Fossil Collectors
Location: Peace River region of west-central Florida, especially around Arcadia and Zolfo Springs.
Common Finds: Shark teeth, ray plates, turtle fragments, dugong and whale bones, horse teeth, mastodon and mammoth fragments, giant ground sloth material, and other Ice Age fossils.
Best Season: Dry season, usually fall through spring, when the river is lower and safer to search.
Best Method: Wade or paddle to shallow gravel, then sift the gravel with a shovel and screen.
Important: Shark and ray teeth do not require a Florida fossil permit, but most other vertebrate fossils collected from state lands do.
Best Search Areas
Look for gravel bars, bends in the river, shallow runs, and slow eddies where heavier fossils collect with pebbles and shell fragments.
Best Conditions
Low, clear water is best. Avoid the river after heavy rain, flooding, or strong current.
Good First Trip
Beginners often do best with a local guide, fossil club trip, or canoe rental route with public access points.
Do Not Collect
Leave Native American artifacts, pottery, points, and historical objects where they are found.
River Collecting
Most collecting is done in shallow water where fossils accumulate in gravel beds. Image used with permission of Lee Cone.
Mixed Fossil Finds
The Peace River produces marine fossils and Ice Age land mammal fossils mixed together by erosion and river transport. Image used with permission of Lee Cone.
Sifting Gravel
A shovel and screen are the standard tools for finding small shark teeth and other fossils. Image used with permission of Chuck Ferrara, Southwest Florida Fossil Society.
Why Are There Fossils in the Peace River?
The short answer is that Florida has been shaped by changing sea levels, shallow marine environments, phosphate-rich sediments, and Ice Age river erosion. Ancient seas left behind shark teeth, ray material, shells, and marine mammal fossils. Later, Pleistocene rivers and wetlands preserved bones and teeth from Ice Age mammals. Today, the Peace River cuts through and reworks those deposits, concentrating fossils in gravel beds that collectors can sift.
Peace River Geology: Florida's Marine Past and Ice Age Fossils
Florida's fossil record is tied to repeated changes in sea level. During times of higher sea level, shallow marine waters covered large parts of the Florida platform. These warm seas supported sharks, rays, dugongs, whales, turtles, fish, mollusks, and many other animals. Their teeth, bones, and shells became buried in marine sediments.
By the Miocene and early Pliocene, sediments of the Hawthorn Group and Peace River Formation accumulated across parts of Florida. These deposits include phosphate-rich layers that preserve many fossils. Over time, river erosion exposed and reworked those sediments, washing fossils into gravel beds along the Peace River.
Ice Age Fossils
The Peace River also cuts through younger Pleistocene deposits. During the Ice Age, Florida supported mammoths, mastodons, horses, camels, tapirs, giant ground sloths, glyptodonts, dire wolves, and many other animals. Teeth and bones from these animals can erode into the river and become mixed with older marine fossils.
Geologic History of Florida: Major Events that Formed the Sunshine State is a useful illustrated overview of Florida's geologic story, from Pangea through the formation of the Florida Keys. It is especially helpful for collectors who want more background on why Florida is so fossil-rich.
What Fossils Can You Find in the Peace River?
The Peace River is popular because it produces a wide mix of fossils. Some are marine fossils from ancient seas, while others are from Ice Age animals that lived on land or in freshwater habitats. Many fossils are broken or water-worn, but careful searching can turn up excellent teeth, bones, and fragments.
Shark and Ray Fossils
Shark teeth are the most common finds. Collectors may find lemon shark, tiger shark, snaggletooth shark, mako-type teeth, ray plates, and occasional megalodon teeth.
Marine Mammals
Dugong bones, whale fragments, ear bones, ribs, and vertebrae may be found. These fossils usually require a Florida fossil permit if collected from state lands.
Ice Age Mammals
Horse teeth, camel fragments, tapir material, mammoth and mastodon pieces, giant ground sloth bones, and glyptodont scutes are possible finds.
Reptiles and Other Fossils
Turtle shell, alligator material, fish bones, fossil wood, shells, and other fragmentary fossils may also turn up in the gravel.
How to Find Fossils in the Peace River
Basic Collecting Method
Fossils naturally erode from the banks and riverbed, then collect with gravel in shallow areas. The basic method is simple: find gravel, scoop it into a screen, rinse away the sand and mud, and look carefully for dark, shiny teeth and dense bone fragments.
- 1. Check water levels.
Do not collect when the river is high or fast. - 2. Find gravel.
Search bends, bars, eddies, and shallow runs. - 3. Sift slowly.
Small teeth are easy to miss. - 4. Watch for bone.
Dense black or brown fragments may be vertebrate fossils.
Shovel and Screen
Most collectors use a small shovel and a screen or sieve. A floating sifter helps when working in shallow water.
Canoe or Kayak
A canoe or kayak lets you reach more gravel bars. Many collectors paddle between access points and test gravel along the way.
Public Access
You can also start from public ramps and wade nearby, but always respect private property and local rules.
Fossil Permits and Artifacts
In Florida, shark and ray teeth, invertebrate fossils, and plant fossils may be collected without a Florida fossil permit. Most other vertebrate fossils collected from state lands require a Florida Fossil Permit through the Florida Museum of Natural History. Do not collect Native American artifacts, pottery, arrowheads, or historical objects from public land or river bottoms.
Permit Link: Florida Museum of Natural History - Florida Fossil Permit
Best Time to Fossil Hunt and River Water Levels
Fossil hunting is usually best during Florida's dry season, roughly October through April, when water levels are lower and gravel bars are easier to reach. Avoid fossil hunting during high water, flooding, or strong current. Clear, shallow water makes it easier to see gravel and work safely.
Arcadia Gauge
At Arcadia, many collectors prefer the water around 1 foot or lower. Check the current USGS Arcadia gage-height page before going.
Zolfo Springs Gauge
At Zolfo Springs, many collectors prefer the water around 7 feet or lower. Check the current USGS Zolfo Springs gage-height page.
POILKMNI New Upgraded 2 Pcs Shark Tooth Sifter, Beach Sand Sifter
Skip the shovel and sifter! These lightweight 41" extendable scoops make it easy to pick up shark teeth in the surf without bending over.
View on Amazon
Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch, Waterproof Phone Case - 2 Pack
Keep your phone safe while fossil hunting! This inexpensive waterproof holder protects against mud, sand, and harsh saltwater. Fits most phones.
View on AmazonWhere to Find Fossils in the Peace River
Fossils can occur along many parts of the Peace River, but productive spots change as the river shifts gravel. Many collectors rent a canoe or kayak, paddle to gravel bars, and test different areas. The locations below are starting points for planning a trip, not guaranteed fossil spots.
Google Map of the Peace River, Florida
1. Guided Fossil Tours
For a first Peace River trip, a guide or fossil club outing can save a lot of trial and error. Guides know how to read the river, find gravel, avoid unsafe water, and recognize unusual fossils.
- Paleo Discoveries is one guide option for Peace River fossil hunting.
- Useful for beginners, families, and collectors who want help identifying finds.
- This site is not affiliated with Paleo Discoveries.
2. Arcadia - Canoe Outpost Peace River
Arcadia is one of the classic starting points for Peace River fossil hunting. Canoe rentals can help you reach gravel bars away from the immediate access points.
- Address: 2816 NW County Rd. 661, Arcadia, FL 34266.
- Located in the heart of the Peace River fossil hunting area.
- Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle to gravel beds.
- Check current business hours, river conditions, and rental policies before going.
3. Public Boat Ramps
Public boat ramps can be good starting points if you have your own canoe or kayak. Some collectors also wade from public access areas when the water is low enough.
- Brownville Park Boat Ramp: 885 NE Brownville St, Arcadia, FL 34266.
- Gardner Boat Ramp: 547 River Rd SW, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890.
- Use the Florida Public Boat Ramp Finder to locate additional ramps.
- Respect private property and do not enter restricted areas.
Peace River Fossil Identification
After a trip, the next challenge is figuring out what you found. Peace River fossils can be worn, fragmentary, and mixed from different ages, so compare shape, texture, enamel, bone structure, and context rather than relying on color alone.
Peace River Fossil Identification Guide
Use the ID guide to compare shark teeth, megalodon teeth, mammal fossils, reptile material, shells, and other common Peace River finds.
Peace River Safety Tips
Alligators
Do not harass, chase, feed, or approach alligators. Keep small pets away from the river.
Snakes
Venomous snakes occur in Florida. Watch where you step and do not approach snakes in or near the water.
Biting Insects
Use insect repellent and check for ticks. Biting flies and mosquitoes can be intense.
Sun and Heat
Bring water, sunscreen, a hat, and snacks. Heat can become dangerous during long river trips.
River Current
Stay out of the river during high water, fast current, storms, or poor visibility.
Low River Conditions
Low water is best for fossil hunting, but it can also mean carrying a canoe over shallow spots and downed trees.
Recommended Florida Shark Tooth Books and Items:
Florida Fossil Shark Teeth Identification Guide: The Fossil Shark Teeth Most Commonly Found In Florida
A must-have guide for fossil shark tooth enthusiasts in Florida, featuring detailed descriptions and color photos. At 35 pages, this well-crafted booklet is both informative and easy to use.
View on Amazon
Fossiling in Florida: A Guide for Diggers and Divers
Mark Renz offers an educational guide filled with illustrated stories of discovering saber-toothed cats, mammoths, and more. Packed with practical advice and over 250 photos, it's ideal for fossil enthusiasts learning to identify and hunt fossils.
View on Amazon
Get Your Very Own Megalodon Tooth:
These are Authentic Megalodon teeth sold by Fossil Era , a reputable fossil dealer (that I personally know) who turned his fossil passion into a business. His Megalodon teeth come in all sizes and prices, from small and inexpensive to large muesum quality teeth. Each tooth has a detailed descriptions and images that include its collecting location and formation. If you are looking for a megalodon tooth, browse through these selections!
FAQs: Peace River Fossil Hunting
- Q: What kinds of fossils can I find at the Peace River?
Common finds include shark teeth, ray material, dugong and whale fragments, turtle shell, alligator material, horse teeth, mammoth and mastodon fragments, and other Ice Age fossils. - Q: Do I need a Florida fossil permit?
Shark and ray teeth, invertebrate fossils, and plant fossils do not require a permit. Most other vertebrate fossils from state lands require a Florida Fossil Permit.
