VENICE MEG TOOTH HUNT
Spring: Friday, April 23 – Monday, April 26, 2027
Fall: Friday, September 10 – Monday, September 13, 2027

Hunt for prehistoric shark teeth in the Shark Tooth Capital of the World. Venice, Florida sits on a fossil bed millions of years old, and the Gulf floor is scattered with teeth from megalodon, mako, tiger and bull sharks, plus ancient whale and dugong bone.

We'll spend Saturday shore diving from Service Club Park and Sunday on a private boat charter with Aristakat Charters, a longtime Venice fossil-diving boat. The dives are shallow and relaxed, and our dive leader will show you how to read the bottom and spot teeth.

WHAT'S INCLUDED: $600 PER DIVER
Private boat charter with Aristakat Charters (tanks and weights on the boat), two shore-dive tanks, Nitrox if you're Enriched Air certified, and a 20K dive leader both days. Nitrox certification is highly recommended; otherwise you'll dive air.

NOT INCLUDED
Lodging (book your own room for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights), travel, meals, rental gear and crew tips. BCDs, regulators and dive computers can be rented from the shop.

THE WEEKEND
Friday: drive down from Alpharetta (about 8 hours), check in, then group dinner and trip briefing.
Saturday: meet at 9:00 AM at Service Club Park for two shore dives near the pier line and the black-sand fossil patch. Bring a packed lunch; we stay at the park all day. Show-and-tell of the day's finds over dinner.
Sunday: free morning, then meet at 12:45 PM at Dockside Marina for the Aristakat charter and boat dives on the Gulf fossil beds (20–30 ft).
Monday: drive home.

WATER
April: mid-70s °F, 3–5mm wetsuit. September: low-to-mid 80s °F, 3mm or skin. Visibility is often under 15 ft.

THE SHORE DIVE
Saturday’s shore dive at Service Club Park includes a considerable amount of surface swimming: you swim out from the beach to the dive site near the pier line (about 15 ft) and back again in full gear. Be comfortable kicking on the surface for a good distance before you sign up; a snorkel makes it much easier.

REQUIRED GEAR

• BCD and regulator (rentals available from the shop)
• Dive computer
• Mask, snorkel, fins and booties
• Wetsuit: 3–5mm in April, 3mm or skin in September
• Dive flag and float (surface flag) for the shore dive; the shop can lend one
• Surface marker buoy (SMB)
• Gloves for digging in the shell hash
• Mesh goody bag for teeth and fossils
• Small dive light (helps in low visibility)
• DIN-to-yoke adapter if your regulator is DIN (boat tanks are AL80 yoke)
• Open Water certification card, plus your Nitrox card if you have one

Also bring a packed lunch for Saturday, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and water.

WHO CAN JOIN
Open Water certified divers and up. The dives are shallow (15–30 ft) with little current, so comfort in low visibility matters more than certification level. Bring your certification card, a dive computer (required), and your Nitrox card if you have one.

GOOD TO KNOW
Only 6 divers per trip. There is no rain date; if weather cancels the boat dive, we refund the cost of the boat dive. Cancellations require 7 days' notice. We'll send the full itinerary, directions and gear checklist when you sign up.

Questions? Call the shop at (770) 752-0002.