PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – For some, finding a shark's tooth is like finding a needle in a haystack... but not for Megan Abstein.
In a recent social media post, Abstein showed off her collection of shark teeth, which includes thousands of teeth in all shapes and sizes, found in St. Johns County.
Abstein said she has lived in the county for almost nine years and that most of her finds were from Ponte Vedra Beach. She said she lives 15 minutes from the Mickler's Ponte Vedra Beach access.
She calls it her free therapy.
"My finds over the last 8 years," Abstein said in a Facebook post. "95% were found at Ponte Vedra Beach. Recently started hitting the creeks in Gainesville...my 2 biggest came from there."
TREASURE TROVE OF SHARKS TEETH! Local woman shares her collection of sharks teeth, predominantly found on Ponte Vedra Beach, that would make any beachgoer jealous. STORY: https://bit.ly/2LPUcJj
Posted by WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX on Wednesday, August 1, 2018
It takes dedication to find shark teeth, and you better bring sunscreen. "It is pretty much the only exercise I get, she told Channel 4's Allyson Henning.
"I typically find approximately 100 per beach visit," Abstein said when News4Jax asked her for more details of her finds. "On average, I go three times per week. I typically walk 3-4 hours per visit. I don’t take a chair or towel. Just sunscreen and something to put my finds in."
So where are the best spots? In her opinion: Mickler's and the Guana Reserve.
She says the secret is to go out when the tide low and the shell beds are exposed.
"Sometimes I go to Fernandina, but that is like three times per year," Abstein said. "It's very much a hobby."
She doesn't have an exact count but a video shows thousands -- enough to make shark tooth hunters all over jealous!
Why are there so many teeth for us to find?
Sharks have multiple rows of teeth. When they lose a tooth, it quickly grows back. Experts say sharks can lose tens of thousands of teeth over the course of their lifetime.