Shark Tooth Hunting in Savannah: Private Fossil Excursions
The Ultimate Guide to Finding Low Country Treasures
If you searched for shark tooth hunting in Savannah, there’s a good chance you pictured walking a stretch of Tybee Island beach with your eyes on the sand.
Here’s the real version: our hunts happen out in the river spoils of the Savannah River (sediment dredged up from one of the busiest shipping channels on the East Coast), packed with shark fossils… including the occasional Megalodon… that swam here millions of years ago. It isn’t just a beach walk, and it isn’t somewhere you can wander onto on your own. It’s a boat-only spot, and knowing exactly where to look is the whole game.
We run these excursions year-round, and they work just as well for a family with kids, a couple looking for something different, a group of friends, a team outing, or a teen who’d rather dig up a fossil than browse another souvenir shop.
Shark Tooth Hunting in Savannah, at a Glance
- Private boat excursions into the river spoils of the Savannah River — not your typical beach hunt
- Offered year-round
- Great for families, couples, friends, groups, teens, and serious collectors alike
- Guided by CARE Certified captains (Coastal Awareness & Responsible Ecotourism) who track current tides and safe spoil sites
- Everything’s included: cooler, ice, a bag for your finds, and safety gear
What Can You Actually Find in the Savannah River Spoils?
Many guests arrive expecting only small shark teeth. They’re often surprised by what turns up once you know what to look for. When you hunt with an experienced guide, you aren’t just scanning the surface — you’re learning how to “read” the spoils.
Depending on the tide, the location, and a little bit of luck, our guests have found:
- Lemon & Bull Shark Teeth: The most common finds, and perfect keepsakes.
- Tiger Shark Teeth: Highly sought after by collectors.
- Stingray Barbs & Teeth Plates: A full stingray barb is a rare and incredibly cool find, though shards of ray tooth plates turn up far more often.
- Ancient Bone Fragments: Bits of fossilized turtle shell or mammalian bone turn up often.
- The Megalodon: The “Holy Grail” of shark tooth hunting. It isn’t found every day, but it’s out there waiting for a sharp eye.
- Not Just Fossils: We’ve also turned up Native American pottery, ceramic shards, clay pipes, and more.
Why “Shark Tooth Island” Isn’t One Fixed Spot
A common mistake is assuming “Shark Tooth Island” is a single, fixed spot you can just wander onto. In reality, it’s a river spoil site in the Savannah River — sediment dredged from the shipping channel and deposited over decades, layered with fossils. Because it’s built from dredge material rather than a natural beach, the best hunting ground is always changing: every tide, storm, and passing container ship reshapes it and turns up a fresh “beach” to search. There’s no one fixed spot— just knowing where current conditions have exposed the good stuff.
Some of these areas are also off-limits for safety reasons, on top of the sites protected as nesting grounds for birds and sea turtles. Because our guides are Coastal Awareness & Responsible Ecotourism (CARE) certified, we know exactly which sites are safe and legal to explore.
We don’t just take you to a spot; we take you to the right spot based on the current tidal charts and seasonal patterns.
The “Low Country Drifter” Advantage
You could wander a public beach for hours and come up empty-handed — because that’s not actually where the teeth are. When you book a private excursion with us, you get:
- Expert “Eye” Training: We teach you what to look for. Shark teeth often look like small, shiny black triangles. Once your eyes are “calibrated,” you’ll be amazed at how many you start spotting.
- Private, Boat-Only Access: Our boat reaches river spoil sites that aren’t accessible by car, on foot, or by public ferry—a pristine hunt with few to no other guests around.
- Educational Storytelling: Our captains are history and ecology nerds. While you hunt, we share the story of how these spoil sites formed, the military history of the people who navigated this river, and the wildlife that calls these waters home.
- No Stress: We provide the cooler, the ice, and the safety gear. You just bring your sense of adventure (and maybe a good pair of sunglasses).
Tips for Your First Fossil Hunt
- Low Tide is King: Fossil hunting is best around the low-tide mark, when the river’s “wash” exposes new layers of sand and shell. We’ll advise you on the best time, where to look, and what to look for.
- Dress for Success: Wear comfortable shoes that can get wet, a wide-brimmed hat, and plenty of sunscreen. The reflection off the sand and water is stronger than you think.
- Bring a Pouch: We’ll provide a container for your smaller finds, but bringing a small bag or a Tupperware container helps keep your treasures safe on the boat ride back to Thunderbolt.
- Go with a Pro: The marsh is a labyrinth. Having a USCG-licensed Captain who knows the water ensures you don’t get stranded by a shifting tide—a very real risk for novice explorers!
Ready to Find Your Piece of History?
Whether you’re a family looking for a hands-on adventure, a couple wanting something different from a Low Country trip, a group of friends after a good story, a teen who’d rather dig for treasure than pose for photos, or a serious collector chasing that Megalodon — we’re ready to take you out. And since we run these trips year-round, there’s no bad season to start looking.
Low Country Drifters is a female-owned, family-led, Veteran-guided business dedicated to providing authentic, safe, and fun Savannah boat tours. Our charters are private for up to 6 guests, so it’s never you sharing the spoils with a boat full of strangers.
