Posted By RichC on March 24, 2026
Besides enjoying the company of Byron for several miles of our walk north on the beach yesterday (he and his wife Mary are from Iowa – we often chat with him) – our sea creature and shelling finds have been very interesting to say the least. Above is “another” baby squid … although this one wasn’t moving. ☹️
A couple particularly interesting beach combing finds as the Delray Beach Restoration project continues: 1) a fossilized tooth … a first for us and 2) a Gray Nickerbean or Sea Pearl (AI info below the break). I employed a little artificial intelligence as well as Wikipedia in order to learn … and investigate … a little bit more.
Based on the size, shape, and color, you have found a fossilized tooth, likely from a prehistoric marine mammal or a large predatory fish—most likely a Sperm Whale (Physeter) or possibly a Mosasaur.
Here is a breakdown of why this is a special find and how to identify it:
1. Is it Prehistoric or Current?
Color: Modern teeth (like from a contemporary shark or whale) are typically bright white. Your specimen has a tan, “café au lait” crown and a weathered, stony root. This discoloration happens over thousands to millions of years as minerals (like phosphate or iron) replace the organic material—a process called permineralization.
Texture: The root (the larger, blunt end) looks like solid rock rather than bone. If it feels heavy for its size and sounds “clinky” like a stone when tapped against a hard surface, it is definitely a fossil.
2. What Animal Did It Come From?
While many people immediately think of sharks (like the Megalodon), shark teeth are generally flatter and more triangular. Your find is conical and robust, which points to a different kind of predator:
Prehistoric Sperm Whale (Most Likely): Fossilized sperm whale teeth are common finds in Florida’s Miocene and Pliocene deposits (2 to 20 million years old). They are famous for being thick, slightly curved, and lacking the distinct enamel “cap” that sharks have. The size relative to your highlighter (about 3-4 inches) is a perfect match for a medium-to-large extinct whale.
Mosasaur: These were “T-Rexes of the sea” from the Cretaceous period. Their teeth are conical and very similar to what you have, though they are more commonly found in riverbeds or specific fossil formations than washed up on the Atlantic coast.
Crocodilian: Large prehistoric crocodiles (like Thecachampsa) also had thick, conical teeth, though they usually have more distinct vertical ridges (striations) than what is visible here.
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Tags: artificial intelligence, beach combing, delray beach, finds, florida, fossil, gemini, gray nickerbean, mosasaur, prehistoric, sea pearl, sperm whale, tooth, walking
Since I’ve been lax on remembering to post something for Throwback Thursday #TBT, here are a couple old photos from my youth — triggered by talking to our beach walking friend, Byron, talking about a few of the cars he owned (very enjoyable conversation). 
18′ Thistle sailboat in our Hudson, Ohio backyard in the early 1990s
