Massive 6.5-inch megalodon tooth unearthed in South Carolina by family of fossil hunters
“We could not believe the size, the color or our luck," Paul Columbia said. “What started as a baseball tournament trip became an experience of a lifetime."
FILE – Charter boat captain finds rare 6-inch megalodon shark tooth off Florida coast
Michael Nastasio, the owner and founder of Black Gold Fossil Charters, found a megalodon shark tooth measuring 6.25 inches off the southern Sarasota County coast in Florida a few weeks ago.
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. – The discovery of a monster's rare tooth, not seen in millions of years, was made last weekend in South Carolina.
A family from Florida unearthed the exciting find – a massive 6.5-inch megalodon tooth – during a fossil hunting expedition.
The Columbia family discovered a huge 6.5-inch megalodon tooth while on a Palmetto Fossil Excursions hunting trip near Charleston, South Carolina last Saturday. (Palmetto Fossil Excursions)
Paul Columbia and his family of four from Largo, Florida share a passion for hunting and collecting shark teeth, particularly in their home state.
So when they traveled to Summerville, South Carolina, on Saturday for their 12-year-old son's baseball tournament, it made perfect sense to plan a shark tooth-hunting trip with Palmetto Fossil Excursions. The company specializes in guiding people from around the world on fossil-hunting adventures in the greater Charleston area.
The family's dry dig exploration took place at a location known as "The Lightning Site," which showcases a variety of formations from the Pleistocene to the Oligocene and an abundance of Mega-toothed shark species.
"We dug and found a couple of nice-size, great quality makos within a half hour," Paul Columbia said. "We are accustomed to digging in soft Florida dirt to reach the gravel.
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While he took a break from moving clay, his two sons and their tour guide continued to dig. After his break, Paul Columbia entered the pit and recalled saying to them, "Alright, pray to the meg gods that we hit the sought-after 7-inch meg."
Within 30 minutes, their guide led them to something not seen on Earth since the megalodon's extinction 3.6 million years ago.
"We originally thought it to be a 3-inch, then a 4-inch," Columbia added.
As the excitement grew, his wife jumped in the pit when they all yelled, "It's a 5-incher!"
As they gathered and slowly wiped away more clay, the sounds of excitement began as they discovered the megalodon tooth was well over 6 inches long.
GOLD RING WITH MARK OF CHRIST LOST 500 YEARS AGO RECENTLY FOUND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
The Columbia family discovered a huge 6.5-inch megalodon tooth while on a Palmetto Fossil Excursions hunting trip near Charleston, South Carolina last Saturday. (Palmetto Fossil Excursions)
"We could not believe the size, the color or our luck," Columbia said. "What started as a baseball tournament trip became an experience of a lifetime."
After carefully securing the massive tooth of their dreams, the family expressed their eagerness to bring it back to Florida for cleaning and restoration.