Fossil Hunting in Florida

By PJ Goetz

Tampa with Kids

Florida is one of the best places to “hunt” for fossils in the world.  Start digging anywhere in Florida and you are bound to find fossils.  The trick is to be in the right spot and to dig deep enough.  Rivers and streams do a lot of digging for you by the natural erosion process.  The waves at the beach will bring your bounty right to your feet.   However, be warned once you start collecting fossils you’ll be hooked.  

* A special thank you to Michael & Seina Searle of Tampa Bay Fossil club and Rick Mathis for loaning the fossils for today’s show.

First Stop: Florida Museum of Natural History.  Learn what has been going on in Florida for the last 65 million years.  This is one of my favorite places to go with the kids.  Wander through the “Hall of Florida Fossils:  Evolution of Life and Land.”  Over 90% of the fossils on display are real and most were found within 100 miles of Gainesville.  Standing next to the jaws of the Magaldons that once called Florida home you get a feel for just how big these giants were.   The hall also holds the fossilized remains of wild horses, elephants and the giant sloth that all once call Florida home.   After your day here you will be ready to get started. 

Call in the Pros:  Fred Mazza loves collecting fossils in Florida and knows all the best spots.  Fred formed Paleo Discoveries as way to support others in both experiencing and discovering a passion for the history of our planet in a fun and interactive way.  Can't go on one of the expeditions. You can order a container of Paleo Gravel. Each 32 oz. container is chock-full of fossils from the Bone Valley region in Florida. This phosphate gravel is rich with shark teeth, stingray and fish fossils. It's a little bit of Florida in a jar!

Walk the Beach:  Walk along any beach in Florida and you’ll find evidence of Florida’s past.  Fossils of all types literally wash ashore and you need only to pick them up.  Shark’s teeth, whale’s bone, gator teeth, and bits of elephant tusks are all things I found recently on a short walk down the beach in St. Petersburg.  The key here is to know what you are looking for.  You have walked by fossils a million times and thought that they were just rocks.     

Dig up the River:  The Peace River that runs through the middle of the state is a great place to find fossils.  You’ll have to dig so bring a sturdy shovel.  Here is where the great Megaldon once came to have their young when Florida was just beginning to emerge from the water. 

Two great places to dig are:

Peace River Campground

Brownsville Campground

Shift the dirt @ a Mining Sites:  You have to get permission to dig at a construction or mining site.  M.O.S.I and local fossil hunting clubs are your best bet for getting in.  Invertebrates (creatures without backbones) are easily found here.  Shift through the piles that the mining companies have dug up. 

Check out Tampa Bay Fossil Club for calendar of upcoming meetings and scheduled digs.

*Recently a 16 year old walking through the woods taking pictures found a mammoth tooth at Boca Ciega Park.  They have been digging there ever since and to date have found bones from giant sloths, camels, turtles, saber tooth cats, horses and giant armadillos.  Check out their web site for information on helping clean and sorting bones.

If you find something of interest and would like to have it identified, take a picture of the item along side a rule for scale and email it to rhulbert@flmnh.ufl.edu.  The University of Gainesville provides this service to the public free of charge.   For large collections (over 10 pieces you are asked to make a donation to the University.