Exciting Megalodon Tooth Discovery by Family on New Jersey Shore
August 15, 2026
While enjoying a day at the beach, a family from Pennsylvania stumbled upon a rare piece of prehistoric history when they found a megalodon tooth encased in a rock on a New Jersey beach.
The Bowers family
The Bowers family, originating from Washington County, was shelling at Sea Isle City when Mike Bowers noticed something peculiar.
A rock with a small hole piqued his curiosity.
Upon closer inspection, Mike discovered there was something inside the rock. The opening was too small for him to reach into, so he called over his son, Bo, whose smaller hand was suited for the task.
To their amazement, Bo retrieved an unexpected item from the rock.
They had found a megalodon tooth.
“As I pulled a shell out of the one rock, there was a hole in the rock,” Mike explained. “I looked down and I was just astonished.”
He immediately called for Bo to join him.
Bo expressed feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension about reaching into the rock.
“I was just really excited at first. I was scared to put my hand down to, like, see it,” Bo recounted.
A fossil expert associated with the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center confirmed the find.
The megalodon, an extinct massive shark species, thrived around 23 to 3.6 million years ago. With lengths ranging from 50 to 80 feet and weights up to 94 tons, it is recognized as the largest carnivorous shark and fish to have ever existed.
