The scuba diver found a large, 6-inch tooth peaking out of the sand off Florida’s Gulf Coast.
VENICE, Fla. — A scuba diver made an awesome discovery while swimming off the Florida coast.
Kristina Scott was diving off the coast of Venice, known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World,” when she spotted something peaking on the sea floor. When she scraped away the sand, she found a giant, prehistoric-looking tooth.
When she shook the debris off, it was the size of her hand. In a video shared with 10 Tampa Bay, you can see the large, 6-inch tooth that almost looks like a rock.
It belonged to the megalodon that went extinct 3.6 million years ago and was the largest shark to ever live. This type of shark measured up to almost 80 feet, about four times longer than the largest recorded great white shark, according to The Natural History Museum in London.
The word megalodon actually means “large tooth,” and the sharks’ jaws were lined with 276 teeth, according to museum experts.
The sea creatures most likely would have eaten meat including whales, large fish and probably other sharks.
Since sharks constantly shed their teeth and replace them, they can lose thousands throughout their lives. Officials from the Smithsonian said megalodon teeth can be found scattered on coastal beaches or offshore and are “especially large.”
Smithsonian experts said the giant creature lives in most regions of the ocean with the Florida shores being home to megalodon fossil sites, according to a map.
This also isn’t the first time a diver has found a megalodon tooth in this area of the Sunshine State. In 2023, a man found one measuring 6.25 inches about 35 feet below the surface.