Fossil Kayaking Tour Update!
If you've been thinking about scheduling a Fossil Kayaking Adventure, you may be wondering:
How do they know where we can find fossils?
How do they guarantee such incredible returns on fossilized shark teeth?
How do they know these boat landings are safe?
The answer to all of these questions is: hours and hours of site exploration, testing, success, and failure. From thunderstorms to non-existent boat landings, Charleston Fossil Adventures takes the hard work of location scouting out of the visitor's hands so that their fossil hunting adventure is as fruitful and enjoyable as possible! Check out some of the more memorable experiences from this scouting season, below. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for a BIG announcement!
Scouting the Edisto River for Fossils
Fossil hunting on the Edisto River can be incredibly fruitful, and yet it can also be incredibly frustrating! Unlike exposed beaches, the Edisto River has fossils in the deeper channels where large gravel congregates. One glance at the height of the Edisto, and it doesn't take an expert to recognize that water deeper than 5ft may be a little tricky to navigate for fossils! Add to that the dark color of the water, and suddenly your fossil trip becomes extremely daunting.
Never fear! CFA monitors the river depth and knows where the shallower productive fossil beds are located!
"Blackwater" characteristic of the Edisto River:
Givhans Ferry State Park - Boat Launch Location
Not every scouting trip yields shark teeth...
Now we're talking! Finding gravel beds with big teeth:
Scouting the Ashley River for Fossils
Location, location, location! ...and maybe a little luck! Paddles are used to locate gravel beds in the headwaters of the Ashley River. Early spring tests yielded bone-chilling water temperatures but promising results; as many as 60 shark teeth were turned up in 15 minutes!! We are very happy with our Ashley River surveys, have had extremely productive trips, and continue to add new sites to the list each time we go out. Pictured at left are just some of the incredible fossils recovered so far this season.
Navigating the timber-strewn headwaters of the Ashley River:
Finally, our most exciting announcement:
All of the locations above require a little advanced planning on the part of our Adventurers. As you may recall, any fossil or artifact collected in submerged waters (those locations beneath the mean low tide water mark) requires a Hobby Diving License through the state, obtained 4-6 weeks in advance.
That's why our location scouting efforts turned away from some of the rivers...and to the tidal creek beaches! CFA is proud to announce the newest Beach Fossil Kayak tour:
A sample of the fossils found at our new beach locations!
While these may not be the white sandy beaches of Cancun, they are filled with fossils ranging from leatherback sea turtles, mollusk casts, vertebrae, ear bones, barnacles, coral, sawfish teeth, and just about every shark tooth imaginable! These new beach locations do not require the traditional permit, since collection takes place along a beach (in the same manner as our Edisto and Folly Beach Adventures); it just takes a little kayaking to get to these beaches!
Despite this change, CFA still strongly urges participants to obtain a Hobby Diving License for future fossil fun in the state of SC. You never know, that Megalodon tooth may just be lurking in the waters under your feet, and you sure want to be able to collect it legally! Remember, any collector operating in the waters without a permit and/or with mechanical means of removal (screen, sifter, screwdriver, shovel, anything other than hands) can face fines and losing their fossils. Oh no! Better be safe than sorry, if you ask us!
Scroll below for more photos from our newest location:
