Diving for Sharks Teeth
We all need a purpose to our diving.
Whether we dive to explore a wreck, look at awe at the muti-cloured fish and other aquatic life or go in search of artifacts such as sharks teeth - it all adds to the rich experience that can be gained underwater.
One of the more simple but very pleasant dives that I do in the UK is off the south coast in a bay called Bracklesham Bay. This is situated just off of the Chichester coastline and the dives tend to be to a maximum 10 metres.
There is plenty to be seen in this area. There is a Mulbury Harbour unit just around the headline that is also an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). Because of this status no fishing is allowed and as a result it is teeming with wildlife. An absolute must for the photographer, and being just 10 metres deep the light penetration is fantastic. Night dives here are especially good.
There are also a couple of small wrecks, a WWII landing craft and also an upturned barge - called the Lord Percy (well that’s what we call it after the guy who found it for us).
But a very interesting dive is one where we look for fossil sharks teeth. I have found in excess of 30 teeth over the last couple of seasons and have quite a collection.
The thing with looking for fossil sharks teeth is that many people think they are going to be white in colour. In fact they are black or a very dark brown but look as if they might have fallen out of the sharks mouth the day before, they can be that pristine.
Sizes vary in this dive area to a maximum 3 inches in height and 2 inches wide. They are nothing like the teeth found by Rick Reed at Venice Beach, Florida which were up to 5 1/4 inches in height but nice all the same.
So what purpose do you have to your diving - let me know.
Seems you write this blog for less than 4 month ?
is that right ? 
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Pingback by Fishing » Blog Archive » Diving for Sharks Teeth on 18 April 2008:
[…] shanlung wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptBecause of this status no fishing is allowed and as a resultit is teeming with wildlife. An absolute ust for the photographer, and being just 10 metres deep the light penetration is fantastic. Night dives here are especially good. … […]
Pingback by Diving for Sharks Teeth | Dental Care Issues - Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Dental Floss on 18 April 2008:
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptWhether we dive to explore a wreck, look at awe at the muti-cloured fish and other aquatic life or go in search of artifacts such as sharks teeth - it all adds to the rich experience that can be gained underwater. … […]
Comment by Percy on 4 May 2008:
Steve is too generous giving me the credit for finding the barge. The barge or what ever at the time was located by sounder by the skipper Steve and its position logged. The divers on the boat decide to try an unknown wreck over a drift dive.
I was the first in the water and the first make contact with the wreck. The Viz was metre at best and my bum made the contact in the gloom! Yes the shot line position was that good my diving technique that bad!
It was more of a ‘feel’ dive that time.
I have now dived it three times and it is an interesting wreck to explore. The stacked and now solid bags of cement make a large numbers of cavities for fish and lobster to hide with the spaces between the ‘bags’. The last time there was an infant cuttlefish there.
Percy
Comment by Brian on 14 May 2008:
Just made my first dive in Bracklesham Bay on the Fossil Beds, and came up trumps with a Sharks? tooth. This little gem is 8cm long by 1cm wide. What makes it so special? It’s the first decent thing I have ever found whilst diving.
Comment by Colin on 20 May 2008:
I have to say that every time I have dived on the Fossil Beds, I have always come up with s sharks tooth, but nothing like Brian’s. I have to say it was very impressive and what actually made it better, was not that it was the first thing he has ever found, but the fact that it was his first UK boat dive - good job Brian!