FOSSILGUY.COM

Many years ago there was a construction boom in the Summerville area. With the construction came many exposed sites of fossil bearing formations. It was a field day for Amateurs and Paleontologists alike. However, today, the construction boom is over and there are buildings and parking lots on top of many of the old fossil sites. Today there are also many ordinances and laws that govern the collection of fossils.

A license is required BEFORE collecting any fossils in public waterways. Public waterways include anything below the low tide mark in rivers and the ocean, and in navigable or past navigable creeks and canals. The fossil hunting must also be for recreational and non-commercial purposes. Although the vast majority of river finds are of little scientific value, the Hobby License is a way for the state to better manage their resources and keep track of the type and numbers of fossils and artifacts being found.

The Hobby License application, renewal, quarterly reporting system, and additional information from the University of South Carolina is here: HOBBY LICENSE.

In addition there are also local rules and ordinances that need adhered to. For example, bringing any tool into a creek, canal, or drainage ditch Summerville, even a screw driver, will get you a hefty fine.

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Where and How to Look for Fossils

From diving to beach collecting, from Myrtle Beach South Carolina to Tybee Island Georgia, from a tour group to going out yourself, there are lots of ways and places to fossil hunt in the Lowcountry.

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Beach Locations

There are lots of beaches where fossils wash up. Usually the fossils are small (under 2 inches), but occasionally larger ones wash up, especially after storms. Just remember, you must collect above the low tide mark unless you have a Hobby License.

General Tips for Beach Fossil Hunting:

Timing: It's best to fossil hunt at low tide, more fossils will be exposed. Morning low tides are the best, as there are less people. Fall and winter are also great times to fossil collect, as summer draws large crowds. Finally, after a storm is a good time to collect, the seafloor gets churned up, and larger fossils will often wash up.

How To: Fossil hunting at beaches is fairly simply. SLOWLY walk the beach near the water line and look for anything black. Fossils are often very dark in color and contrast from sand and other shells. You will not find a shark tooth in 10 minutes of searching, keep walking and keep searching for a few hours. It takes time, patience, and a bit of luck! Usually at the beaches, most fossils are no more than 1 inch in size, but occasionally larger specimens are found.

Fossil Identification: When you find fossils, how can you identify them? Go to my Coastal South Carolina Fossil ID page for all your ID needs.

1. Edisto Island
Building restrictions keep this island form being overdeveloped like many of the other sea islands in the area. Edisto Island sits at the mouth of the Edisto River and fossils from upstream wash down and get deposited along the beaches at the South Edisto Inlet. Also, Ice Age deposits are just offshore. Called the Edisto Beach deposits, these deposits from the Wisconsinan glaciation contain the remains of ice age mammals, making Edisto Island a great place to fossil collect.

The best place to fossil hunt on the island is along the beach at the South Edisto Inlet.

2. Folly Beach and Morris Island
One of the most famous fossil rivers on earth, the Cooper River, empties into the Charleston Harbor. Fossils wash down this river and wash up on the beaches around the harbor. Folly Beach is a well-known beach for fossil shark teeth. People have had luck near the south end, by the pier and also the north end, so take your pick!

If you have a kayak, you can launch it at the lighthouse inlet and paddle across to Morris Island. This island has less people on it, so it is usually less picked over. If you don't have a kayak, there are fossil kayak and boat tours that can take you to the island.

Tour Operator:
Charleston Fossil Adventures. This outfitter offers various tours that can take you all over the Charleston area for fossils, including Morris Island. Note: I have no affiliation with this company.

3. Tybee Island, Georgia
Although not in South Carolina, Tybee Island straddles its border. The beauty of this island is the Savannah river, another blackwater river that contains fossils. The Savannah River serves as a shipping lane and needs dredged periodically. The dredge material is placed on numerous artificial "dredge" islands near the mouth of the Savannah. This dredge material contains fossils from the river bottom.

There are a few ways to collect these fossils. You can search for them washing up on Tybee Island itself. Just search the beach at the north end of the island at low tide, and look for anything black, they could be shark teeth! Another way is to boat to the dredge islands themselves. If you don't have a boat or kayak, there are a few tour operators that will take you there. Here are two:

1. Sundial Charters
2. Tybee Island Charters

Both charters take you on a guided fossil tour of the dredge islands. Note: I have no affiliation with these tour operators.

4. Myrtle Beach
Although not as abundant, fossil shark teeth wash up on Myrtle Beach. People have had more luck at central Myrtle Beach and also up at North Myrtle beach. Here, the formation is offshore, so you just want to walk along the tide line looking for black objects. The fossil shark teeth also tend to wash around with the shells, so look for areas with lots of shell fragments. Although most fossil teeth are an inch in size or less, I get messages all the time about 2-inch great whites being found.

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Diving the Blackwater Rivers

This is my favorite way to fossil hunt in the Lowcountry because it's a little bit dangerous, a little bit crazy, and you find larger fossils. Just remember, you MUST have a Hobby License to dive the blackwater rivers.

The blackwater rivers throughout the Lowcountry and down into Georgia cut through numerous fossil bearing formations. Fossils wash out of these formations and pile up in gravel beds on the river bottoms. This is where larger fossils are usually found.

Blackwater diving is not for everyone though. As the name suggests, the rivers are full of dark tannins. At around 10 feet of depth, sunlight gets completely blocked, making the river pitch black. At nearly Zero visibility, powerful dive lights are required to see a few inches in front of you.

The rivers are also tidal, and often have strong currents. These currents tumble debris along the river bottom, including trees, so a helmet is necessary. The numerous trees also catch and tangle dive gear rather easily. I would only suggest trying your hand at blackwater diving if you are VERY comfortable with diving, can use a compass, have lights and a helmet.

If you are interested to see what blackwater diving for fossils is like, check out the video below from one of my dive trips:

What's it like to dive the cooper? Watch this YouTube video!

If you don't have a boat to scout and explore the rivers, you can always use a charter. Here are some charters that cater to fossil divers:

1. Dive the Cooper: Mark Johnson of Dive the Cooper has a nice Pontoon boat for the sole purpose of fossil diving in the Cooper River. I have chartered with him a few times, and it's always a great experience.

2. Cooper River Dive Charters: I have not personally used this charter, however I have had my tanks filled by John and his cute dog! I've also heard good reviews of his charters.

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Identification of Coastal South Carolina Fossils:

Click on the image to go to the Coastal South Carolina Identification Page:

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Recommended Carolina Shark Tooth Books and Items:

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Additional Photos / Images of Coastal South Carolina Fossils

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David J. Cicimurri, James L. Knight (2009) Late Oligocene Sharks and Rays from the Chandler Bridge Formation, Dorchester County, South Carolina, USA. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 54(4), 627-647, (1 December 2009) (PDF here).

Dobie, J., & Jackson, D. (1979). First Fossil Record for the Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin (Emydidae), and Comments on the Fossil Record of Chrysemys nelsoni (Emydidae). Herpetologica, 35(2), 139-145. Retrieved https://www.jstor.org/stable/3891779

Lucy E. Edwards, Gregory S. Gohn, Laurel M. Bybell, Peter G. Chirico, Raymond A. Christopher, Norman O. Frederiksen, David C. Prowell, Jean M. Self-Trail, and Robert E. Weems . (2000) SUPPLEMENT TO THE PRELIMINARY STRATIGRAPHIC DATABASE FOR SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS OF DORCHESTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-049-B
Online Publication

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