Vacationing father and son pull massive megalodon tooth from New Jersey shore

During a walk on the Jersey Shore, a father and son from Pennsylvania found a fossilized megalodon tooth lodged in a tight opening in a jetty.

Here's what to know

While in Sea Isle City, 42-year-old Michael Bowers noticed the tooth stuck in a slim gap in a jetty, the New York Post reported. The opening was too small for Bowers to fit his hand inside, but his 11-year-old son Bo was able to reach into the crevice and remove the fossil.

They took the object to the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center, which confirmed it was an authentic fossil. 

Megalodons have been extinct for at least 3.6 million years, making the find remarkable. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, these prehistoric sharks were about 60 feet long and weighed about 100,000 pounds, easily making them "the largest shark to have ever lived in the world's ocean."

Megalodon teeth are among the most recognizable prehistoric fossils because shark skeletons are made largely of cartilage, which does not preserve nearly as well as teeth.

Evidence of the animal is typically limited to scattered fossils and teeth rather than complete skeletons. One expert told the Post that fossils like this are uncommon in New Jersey, with only five teeth ever being found in the state.

What can be done?

Unusual beach finds should be handled carefully and examined by experts rather than dismissed as ordinary rocks or shells. Local museums, university geology departments, and marine research centers can often help identify fossils.

Rules on removing objects from beaches, jetties, or protected areas can vary by location. If you ever find something you believe is an authentic fossil, taking a photo of the object where it was found can also help researchers better understand the context of the discovery.

Research centers and educational groups play an important role in identifying rare finds, preserving regional history, and teaching the public about the wildlife that once lived in our waters. For Bowers and his son, that process turned a surprising beach discovery into a verified prehistoric find.

As Bowers told NJ.com, "It [was] on my bucket list of stuff to find. My knees were shaking."

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