Fossils from Our North Florida Waterways FLORIDA WATERWAYS

One activity that families like to do in our freshwater creeks and rivers, is fossil hunting. Because Florida was covered by the sea for thousands of years, one can with a little bit of searching find sharks’ teeth and other fossils.

In North Florida, you’re never far from a freshwater creek. This is a lucky thing for those interested in archaeology and paleontology, as these creeks are some of the best places to find fossils, most notably sharks’ teeth, rays’ teeth, and other bits and pieces of the fossil record. Here are some tips to finding fossils in Florida’s creeks.

By Kevin McCarthy

Keep in mind that Florida law requires a $5 annual fee if you collect vertebrate fossils. Such a fee is called a Fossil Collecting Permit. However, collecting sharks’ teeth and shells does not require a permit. I have a paleontologist friend who has been collecting fossil remains in North Florida for many years. Included here are six sample fossils along with the name and place of the fossil and a ruler showing the length of the fossil.

The first one is from an extinct rabbit pelvis. The rabbit may be related to the marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris), a relatively small cottontail rabbit found in our swamps and marshes. Living near bodies of water, it became a strong swimmer.

The second sample may be from an extinct armadillo (Dasypus bellus, which has the unusual translation of beautiful armadillo) which lived some 2.5 million years ago up to 11,000 years ago. Ranging in size of about two times the size of a regular nine-banded armadillo, the extinct species could feast on lizards and small birds.

The third sample, sharks’ teeth, is probably the most common fossil found in our waterways since sharks shed some 35,000 teeth in their lifetime and replace the missing teeth with new ones.

The fourth sample is a scale from a fossilized garfish, a living fossil that has been around for some fifty million years. Its long, thin body has a long snout and jaws with very sharp teeth. This freshwater fish lays its eggs in shallow water. It eats fish and insects and can sometimes reach ten feet in length and 200 pounds in weight.

The fifth sample is from an extinct longjawed dolphin. Such a creature resembled a modern dolphin, but had a very long snout and could reach a length of six to nine feet. Such a dolphin fed on small fish and squid and could use its long jaw to throw small fish around.

The sixth sample is fossilized poop or feces. These petrified droppings of animals in the sea have a technical term, coprolite and can tell scientists what the diet of the fish was. Although this sample is small, they can range up to sixty centimeters. So, fossil finders, good luck in your endeavors.

Kevin McCarthy, the author of “North Florida Waterways” 2013 (available at amazon.com), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.

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August is always a special time of the year along Florida’s Nature Coast, especially when it comes to the fishing! The full moon in August plays a vital role, especially the big breeding bull redfish and their movements, as they transition from their spawning phases offshore and head back inshore. These fish come in hungry and in massive schools, which makes for a fun and eventful day of fishing. Shrimp, mud minnows and pinfish are all great baits to utilize for catching them.

The triple tail begin to show up in bigger numbers mid to late August as well. They are found floating near buoys and channel markers. The larger ones are often free floating and enjoy a shrimp pitched to them on a 1/16-ounce jig head.

Flounder continue to lay along the sandy bottoms near the rocky shorelines. They are laying across the bottom, so a slower retrieve is a must for these fish. Often a mid-minnow swimming around the rock ledge offers a tasty treat for them.

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Late summer into fall fishing is a must on Florida’s Nature Coast. It is some of my favorite time of the year to “catch”!