Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Arrive at the beach at low tide. Observe the line of pebbles and seaweed that marks the tidal high-water mark. The debris is more abundant after a storm or a period of high wind. High winds and waves churn up the sea floor, bringing more material to the beach.
Search the tide line for small black objects in roughly triangular shapes. Focus on color first, then shape. Black objects may be pebbles, mussel fragments, or shark's teeth. The shape of the teeth varies with the shark species. Most often, shark's teeth fossils are black, but you can also find them in other colors.
Work your way down to the edge of the waves. The closer you get to the water, the more recently the sand and debris have been uncovered by the outgoing tide, and the better your chances of finding something interesting. Use a sand rake to bring buried objects to the surface.
Place a handful of debris on your sifting screen, if you've brought one. Sift the sand out of the screen and search through the remaining shells for shark's teeth. Keep the teeth and any interesting shells in a bucket. Don't carry them in your pockets, which have a way of emptying themselves out on a beach.
Snorkel out into the shallow water, and run your hand lightly through the top layer of sand. Bring up any hard objects you discover and examine them closely. Be cautious of stingrays, which lie on the bottom and can be hard to spot. A stingray barb in your hand or foot can really ruin your day.