shells and shark teeth

The beach is a place of relaxation for many people. It is for me. It's always been a place I have loved. From the first time I went to the beach when I was 13 years old I just loved it. Okay, so being sucked out with the strong Nags Head undertow wasn't the most pleasant experience, it was where I, a girl who loves a swimming pool, first feared the ocean's strength but was in awe of it as well. It doesn't matter to me what beach it is really, as long as there is sand between my toes and waves covering my feet with salty foam. Now, as a mom, taking my girls to the beach, instilling that love of salty ocean air, warm breezes, and sandcastles, makes the annual beach vacation even more fun. Just like so many people, we always look for shells. Seriously, how many shells does one family need? It's a calming way to pass the time. The search, the discovery, the most beautiful sea shell. Well, our family not only looks for great sea shells, because that's not enough of a challenge, we look for sharks teeth. That's right, sharks teeth. My husband and father-in-law are the masters of spotting them just as the waves roll out. It takes a trained eye to see them...and that is something that I lack. On occasion I have found one or two, but the men, well, they find 8, 10, sometimes 15 sharks teeth.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because on our last vacation I found the most! They were small but plentiful. Check it out.
Oh, but the story doesn't end there. My in-laws just got back from their own vacation at the beach and once again I was one-upped. Not only did my father-in-law find many shark teeth, it seems he hit the mother load. The following picture is of his recent findings. Although I found more teeth, he still wins. See?

Yes, those are real. He found them on the beach, he did not purchase them in a store. And just so you can see just how big that one tooth is...here is a picture of me holding it. Great googly moogly! That's huge. It's a great white shark tooth.
So, the next time you go to the beach and go for a relaxing stroll as the waves lap over your toes...keep your eyes peeled! You may just find a shark tooth or two!