>I read something about the possibility to find fossilised shark teeth by the
>hunderds on Casperson beach around Sarasota. Is this really the case?
 
I've been told that Casperson Beach (in Venice, south of Sarasota) has been
renourished recently, covering up the fossilized shark's teeth. The teeth
don't necessarily wash up on the beach but are in the sand of the beach
itself, so when the beach sand was covered over with new sand so were the
fossils. You can still find a few, I understand, but not in the great
quantities there used to be. Perhaps you can still get some by snorkeling a
little offshore, if the water is clear enough.
 
>I also read that there is a fossil pit around Sarasaoto which is open on
>Saterday. Is this still the case?
 
The fossil pit we used to love to visit was mined out. They used the fossil
shells for driveway foundations, etc. The site is closed and the mine has
filled with water. Though there are still a couple of mines around the
companies running them don't allow fossil collectors in, and the company
that used to let us in can't get the county government to give them permits
to mind another parcel.
 
Peggy Williams
near Sarasota, Florida
 
                     http://www.mindspring.com/~shellelegant
                                  Peggy Williams
                                   Shell Elegant Tours
                 PO Box 575     *     Tallevast FL 34270
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