Megalodon Shark Teeth Wash up on North Carolina Coast
OutdoorHub Reporters 10.28.15
Three massive teeth several times the size of a regular shark’s were found along the North Carolina coast earlier this month. According to the Holly Ridge—Surf City Online Gazette, which originally posted the photographs to Facebook, the teeth belonged to none other than the infamous megalodon, a species of giant-sized prehistoric sharks.
“I thought I spotted a large clam shell and then as the tide went out, I saw the tooth. My friend thought I was crazy diving into the water to grab the massive tooth!” said Mary Wasserman, who found the first tooth near North Topsail Beach.
Giant shark teeth found along NC beaches!PC: Mary Radford
Posted by Holly Ridge – Surf City Online Gazette on Sunday, October 18, 2015
The others were found by other beach-goers in Onslow Beach and in Wilmington. Experts positively identified the teeth as coming from the megalodon, which lived approximately 16 to 3 million years ago. The massive shark is considered by many scientists to be one of the largest and most powerful predators to have ever lived. At 60 feet long and 50 metric tons, this giant shark outweighed and out-sized even the iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s huge jaw was more than large enough to swallow a human whole and rows of sharp teeth produced one of the highest bite forces that ever existed. Researchers believed that the megalodon actively hunted and killed whales.
You can learn more about the megalodon below:
In recent years, the prehistoric shark species has gained some popularity after a series of documentaries and TV specials focusing on the ancient predator. This has driven demand for bones and teeth, which are occasionally found either washed ashore or uncovered by a storm. Depending on its size and shape, a single megalodon tooth can be worth thousands of dollars—making it literally worth its weight in gold.
“Oh my God, like I said, I felt like I was a lottery winner or something,” Denny Bland, who found one of the teeth, told WITN.
You can see an interview with him below:
