Finding Shark Teeth

A sampling of shark teeth from the Ray family's collection.

I know you've heard of seashell collecting, but my family collects something entirely different! This year, instead of bags with pretty shells, our bags have black triangles. What are these mysterious things you might ask? Well, they're shark teeth!

We find shark teeth that are actually fossils, thousands of years old! We look in the sand and find black triangles (sometimes they are white or yellow too). I like to look for the unmistakable curve where the gum would be or the small (or big) dip in the back. You can also try to break the tooth and if it breaks then it isn't a shark tooth, but if it doesn't then there's a chance it's a shark tooth!

Just to warn you, shark teeth aren't easy to find! Sometimes you might find that the particular day you look is a good day for shark teething (my family's term for looking for shark teeth), and you find many shark teeth. Maybe you'll find them big, sometimes they're small, but just remember no matter if it's shark teeth or shells there's always something to find on the beach!

Evelyn Ray, (soon to be) fifth-grader at Bay Middle School

I am Evelyn Ray. I am ten years old. I live in Bay Village and will go to Bay Middle in the Fall. I will be in 5th Grade this fall.

Read More on Food & Travel
Volume 8, Issue 13, Posted 9:30 AM, 07.06.2016