How to find fossils 
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There are 5 different ways or places you can look for fossils here in the state of Florida. Before you go fossil hunting make sure that the property you are going to hunt on is not private property and if it is be sure you get the property owners permission to hunt. You will also need to have a Florida Fossil Permit with you to fossil hunt on state land. At the back of this book we have included information about obtaining a permit and the regulations for collecting fossils. If you are going to go fossil hunting in other states be sure to check regulations for that state.
There are several items that you need to take with you when you go hunting. You need to make sure that you take plenty of water to drink so you do not get dehydrated. Screen wash or Florida Snow shovel. Towels and dry clothes if you are going to hunt in the rivers or on the beach, a goody bag to put all your treasures including a small container or zip lock bag to put your smaller treasures in.
How to Spot Fossils
Almost anywhere in Florida fossils are likely to turn up. There are several clues that can help your tell the difference between a fossil and rock or some other material. First some fossils are usually more porous in texture than stone. Another way to spot fossils such as shark’s teeth is to look for the smooth shiny enamel. Bone is sometimes shinny on the outside then the inside can be hollow like in Bird fossils or the inside will resemble a sponge. One of the most important ways of spotting fossils is the shape. Shark teeth have very distinctive and recognizable shapes. Some are triangular, some have serrated edges and some are long and slender.
This material is brought in on the incoming waves that you will see hitting the beach. As the incoming waves meet the rebounding out going water from the previous wave this action causes ripples on the ocean bottom. The ripples are where small piles of shell and fossil material get trapped.
The fossils will also get trapped at the primary drop off point such as the sand bar. This also creates an excellent place to sift or scoop for fossils.
When walking the beach you will want to look for shiny black objects or something that is odd looking. After a awhile you will be able to tell the difference between rock and fossils. You may also want to use what is called a Florida Snow Shovel. This is a wire mesh basket that is attached to a handle. You would take the snow Shovel and go to the edge of the shoreline or go to a small drop off point. Shovel up some material and then shake out the smaller items. Then go through the rest of the material to find the fossils.
Another excellent way to find fossils is with a sea scoop. This is a hollow watertight tube or box with a clear lens at the base. The sea scope helps to overcome light reflection and glare on the surface of the water and gives you a clear view of the sand and bottom. This is a great little tool you can make or buy.
Diving For Fossils
Snor
keling is an excellent way to find fossils under the water and requires the least amount of equipment and no certification. To Snorkel all you need is a mask, snorkel, and a goody bag to put all your treasures in. This is a great way to hunt for fossils in the rivers that are not very deep, you can just swim along the bottom and look through the gravel and under the rocks and still be able to breath through your snorkel.
When diving in the rivers, the best place to look is around and under logs and along the edges of the river where the bank eroded away and fell 
into the water. Also look around areas that are rocky where teeth and fossils can get trapped.
Make sure when you are snorkeling or diving in the rivers that are located in State Parks that you have a Fossil Permit with you. Otherwise if get caught without it the park ranger will make you dump all of your fossils back out and you could be fined as well.
When you first get to the river or stream that you are going to hunt in walk along the banks and look for areas that have eroded away and exposed fossils. Also look for a gravel bottom.
Using old shoes or diving boots, wade into the water where the gravel-covered bottom is located. Using a shovel, get a scoop of gravel, then place it in your screen and wash it out.
This is called screen washing; this lets the smaller material fall through the screen. From there you can either go through the material that is left in the screen or dump the material on to the bank and sift through it there.
Gravel covered bottoms tend to form downstream from the rapids. You can also explore snorkeling. You can separate out the sand and the rocks by using a technique called fanning with your hands or feet.
A canoe is also an excellent way to hunt for fossils along the Florida Rivers and streams as well as provide much more exploration. You will just need to find a place were you can load or unload your canoe. You have several ways of exploring for fossils with a canoe. One option is if the current is not to swift then paddles upstream then drift back downstream. If the water is clear you can use your mask and snorkel and float alongside the canoe as you look for fossils under the water.
Fossil Hunting In Quarries
