Oliver and Sebastian Martinez discovered a once-in-a-lifetime discovery while spending the day at Narragansett Town Beach earlier this summer with their parents, Lauren and Alex. After discovering a sizable shark tooth in the sand, they got in touch with the Atlantic Shark Institute to identify the species.
It was discovered to be a fossilized great white shark tooth in superb shape. Dr. Josh Moyer, an ASI partner, calculated that it was at least 10,000 years old, and possibly millions of years old. Based on the tooth, the shark’s length was calculated to be around 15 feet.
The ASI’s Executive Director, Jon Dodd, was surprisingly approached three weeks ago by a friend who said they had also discovered a huge tooth and wanted to get an opinion on it. The place? Once more, Narragansett Town Beach.
It would be an understatement to say that I was taken aback upon viewing the most recent photo submitted by Carline Shields, a resident of South Kingstown, Jon said. He went on to say, “We have never been asked to evaluate a tooth that size from RI waters, let alone two in a matter of months.” It’s much more intriguing coming from the same little beach in Rhode Island. Interestingly, it turned out that Carline’s new tooth was also a petrified great white tooth. Once more, Dr. Moyer’s and the ASI’s assessment verified the species, which ranged in age from 10,000 to millions of years. Furthermore, it was estimated that this shark was an amazing 18–20 feet long.
Carline revealed that she discovered what turned out to be the tooth while out for a morning stroll along Narragansett Town Beach. “I thought it was a rock from a distance, but as I got closer, I realized it was pretty special,” she added. We’ve known Jon for a long time, so it seemed sense to get in touch with him, she continued.
We’ve never had a call or heard about teeth of this size and species in Rhode Island, so it’s amazing to us that we’ve had two in as short a time as a few months. These are really amazing discoveries. He said, “We would love to hear from people if they have had similar luck or know of anyone who has.”
Please contact the Atlantic Shark Institute at www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org if you’ve had the good fortune to come across anything comparable here on the coast of Rhode Island. They would be delighted to hear from you.
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