If you’ve lived in Lowcountry for a time and have enjoyed our amazing beaches, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve been shark tooth hunting in Charleston and have your favorite spots for finding fossilized teeth. But if you’ve ever had difficulty knowing what to look for or just haven’t had any luck finding your own treasures, you’re in luck!
Charleston is home to several local experts who share their experience and expertise with residents and visitors alike. If you’re interested in taking the family on a shark tooth and fossil hunting adventure, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of guided shark tooth-hunting tours and local experts who are more than happy to share their abundant knowledge.
Guided Tours for Shark Tooth Hunting in Charleston
Charleston Outdoor Adventures offer a wide variety of outdoor activities for enjoying everything the Lowcountry has to offer — from kayak and stand-up paddleboarding excursions to dolphin tours and trips to the Morris Island Lighthouse. If you’re looking for fossils, Charleston Outdoor Adventures departs from Bowens Island through marshland on a hike to discover fossils. You’ll also get to learn more about the Lowcountry’s rich history and thriving ecosystem.
In addition to inshore and shark fishing excursions, Flood Tide Charters offers a two-hour adventure for those looking to come away with shark teeth and other fossils. This is a fun tour for all ages and Flood Tide can accommodate up to six people on their shark and fossil hunting trips.
Island Cove Charters provides a one-of-a-kind, personalized, three-hour fossil excursion. Hit the open seas with a boat tour from Captain Chuck; and if you’re a fan of The Neverending Story, Captain Chuck’s pup, Falkor will bring lots of smiles!
Ashby Gale has long been our “go-to paleontologist” as he’s facilitated countless fossil hunts for the local homeschooling community and his tours are engaging and fun. Charleston Fossil Adventures offer a variety of shark tooth excursions and private adventures for your group.
From dinner cruises, harbor cruises, birdwatching, and fossil and shark tooth hunting excursions, Seas the Day has it all. For those looking to go shark tooth hunting in Charleston, Seas the Day brings guests out to Folly Beach and Morris Island for shelling and shark teeth hunting.
If you’ve been around the Charleston area for a length of time, you know that Coastal Expeditions is your one-stop shop for all water adventures. We’ve taken their kayak expedition along Shem Creek and found ourselves up close and personal with so many dolphins as well as two trips on the Bulls Island Ferry — once for a beach drop to Boneyard Beach and the other to explore everything Bulls Island has to offer.
Harborview offers a variety of boat tours, including public and private charters at sunset, a dolphin watch and harbor cruise, shelling expeditions, and fossil and shark tooth hunting in Charleston.
Palmetto Fossil Excursions offers guests single-day or multi-day fossil excursions and even monthly packages that allow visitors access to their 100-acre pit, digging and sifting to their heart’s content! This is a great option for families who prefer to stay on land and off boats.
What to Pack for a Day of Shark Tooth Hunting
So if you’re heading out shark tooth hunting in Charleston and need some ideas on what to bring to keep everyone safe and content, be sure to check out each of the above sites for their detailed suggestions. Your outdoor needs may vary depending on the time of day, location, and services offered.
As a general rule, however, here are a few of the basics you may want to gather before you head out on your epic shark tooth-hunting Charleston adventure!
1. Personal Gear
Sun hat
Sunglasses
Nature journal
Fanny pack or day pack (for collecting treasures)
2. Food
Water
Trail mix/Granola
Fresh fruit (bananas, oranges)
3. Special Items
Sunscreen
Lip Balm
Baby powder for sand (iykyk)
4. Emergency Items
Portable charger
First Aid kit
Cash
One final resource for shark tooth hunting in Charleston that I highly recommend is A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils, co-written by Charleston Fossil Adventures’ Ashby Gale. This is a great resource for anyone living or vacationing in the Lowcountry — it explains and depicts the specific fossils you might find in the area. We continually come back to it as we hunt locally and try to identify our treasures.
Love this! Great list! We just took a Coastal Expeditions shark tooth tour this month over Spring Break to Morris Island. The guide was fantastic and we ended up buying the book she was using which turns out was Ashby’s book!
We have the itch so more tours in our future for sure!
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