Father and son uncover giant 3.6-million-year-old megalodon tooth on Jersey beach

Michael Bowers, 42, and his 11-year-old son Bo were exploring a jetty at Sea Isle City when they discovered a huge tooth lodged in a small opening. Bo was able to extract the fossil, which dates back roughly 3.6 million years. The Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center examined the object and confirmed it as a megalodon tooth, a species that could reach lengths of up to 60 feet.

According to the center’s research director Melissa Laurino, such finds are rare in New Jersey, with fewer than five documented examples. Curators suggest the tooth may have been brought ashore by sand displaced during a July beach-replenishment effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Bowers family now holds what scientists describe as a once-in-a-lifetime beach discovery.