Sharks are some of the most ancient marine creatures. They have been swimming the earth’s oceans for 400 million years. Only jellyfish, nautiluses, and horseshoe crabs are older. Different species of sharks have emerged and gone extinct over time and, because their bodies are mostly cartilage, only their fossilized teeth remain to prove they ever lived.

Like modern sharks, they each shed thousands of teeth over the course of their individual lives. Some teeth naturally decay and disappear. But the ones that get buried in the seafloor slowly absorb minerals from the sediment and fossilize. Different sediments give the teeth different colors.

The best fossilized teeth are fully intact and still have enamel covering both sides. The rarest teeth are so well-preserved that they still have serrated edges. These magnificent fossils can be found beneath the surface of every one of the earth’s oceans and, in some areas, buried on dry land that was once the seafloor of ancient seas.

But you have to look in the right place to find them, recognize them when you see them, and then clean them carefully to appreciate their beauty and power.

Because of its unique geology, Onslow Bay off the North Carolina coast has the highest concentration of fossilized prehistoric shark teeth accessible to recreational SCUBA divers. Diving for them is like an underwater Easter Egg Hunt for adults; some are easy to find, while others require some work to spot and uncover.

I only sell shark teeth that I have personally found and cleaned. The ancient sharks from whose mouths these teeth came lived between 2.5 and 23 million years ago. They were enormous creatures, sometimes reaching 55 feet (17 meters) in length. Each one comes with a certificate of authenticity listing the date, location, and depth at which it was found. It also certifies that each tooth was hand cleaned with care, custom-made tooths, and organic solvents. Only natural fabrics and oils were used to polish them. None of my teeth have been repaired or restored; only cleaned and polished.

My search for these fossilized teeth, in the open ocean between 26 and 40 miles offshore at depths reaching 113 feet, has become a powerful metaphor for me about the human quest for wisdom in life. The process of cleaning these teeth has been equally instructive in my spiritual life.

To learn more about the important life lessons that searching for and cleaning these teeth have taught me, visit our Youtube channel and watch Episodes 9 and 10 of Season One.