My walk last Saturday on Tybee Island yielded some above 

average finds. I am pretty sure the fossil at the top is a piece of a 

sea turtle shell.

Just added this little nugget to the collection. It is part of a 7-inch tooth from a megalodon, the largest creature to ever swim in the ocean. It was dug up in a Georgia river bed, and the grooves of the tooth still have bits of brown river sediment in them. Thanks to my friends at The Savannah History Shoppe for the returning customer discount. I heart fossils.

OCTOBER 24-25

NC FESTIVAL BY THE SEA

HOLDEN BEACH, NC

SATURDAY 9:00-5:00

SUNDAY 9:00-4:00

Get your signed copy of 

Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast

$11.70 (including tax)

Cash or check only

Apple Festival!

Hooray for Catch and Release!

This seven-foot tiger shark was caught and released last night by a man named Robert on the St. Simons Pier in Georgia. Notice the beautiful spots that explain the tiger shark's name. Georgia has a great catch and release award program that incentivizes fishermen to treat the animals with care instead of killing them for trophies. The documentation associated with the program also allows the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division to monitor the shark population. The photo is courtesy of St. Simons Bait and Tackle. 

Here are my dates for central North Carolina this fall. New dates are being added all the time, so keep checking on my Amazon Author Central page (http://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Oliphant/e/B00MSBTBZE).

I should have new dates on the coast to announce soon!

Who knew that this was a bony fish operculum? That would be Dr. Richard Chandler, who is quite possibly the coolest fossil expert in the world. A dear woman named Jean came to my launch party with this nugget, which she found 30 years ago on a Florida beach. She's been wearing it as a necklace all that time and trying to find out what it is. I wouldn't know a bony fish operculum if it smacked me in the head, so I put in a call to the experts. If you should ever make it on "Jeopardy!" and find that you are competing against a North Carolina Fossil Club member, just go ahead and surrender before the cameras roll.

Um...In Nature, This Is Called "Eating"

Great white shark mauls seal just yards from swimmers on Cape Cod beach

Published August 14, 2015

FoxNews.com

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Fisherman reels in monster 800-pound shark

Two Cape Code beaches were forced to close Wednesday after witnesses saw an “explosion of water and blood” when a great white shark mauled a seal about 30 yards off the beach.

Beachgoers at Nauset Light in Eastham, Massachusetts, saw the shark attack the seal at around 4 p.m. The seal was then thrown out of the water onto the beach, where it died, witnesses said.

"It was almost like “Jaws," one witness told WCVB.com.

A one-hour swimming suspension was issued for Nauset Light and Coast Guard beach, due to their proximity to each other. Paige Long, a dispatcher with the Cape Cod National Seashore, says that's standard protocol.

"We didn't see the fin of the shark, but we saw the seals booking it the opposite way"

- witness

"All of a sudden the lifeguards were like (yelling) get out of the water get out of the water," Shelby Carney, who was at the beach, told the station. "We didn't see the fin of the shark, but we saw the seals booking it the opposite way. All the other seals were gone."

Seals are a primary food source for great white sharks, which have been spotted in the Cape in increasing numbers over the years. The station reported that officials say there were 68 great white sharks off the coast last summer.

The Boston Globe reported earlier this month that 16 sharks were identified off the shoreline during a four-and-a-half hour search, which one researcher called, "a very bus day for us."

"This was the biggest day of the season in terms of the number of sharks that were identified," Cynthia Wigren, president of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, told the paper. "We even had two sharks that swam by the boat at the same time, one from one direction and one from the other."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/14/great-white-shark-mauls-seal-just-yards-from-swimmers-on-cape-cod-beach/?intcmp=hpbt4

More great press in the Lincoln Herald today. Thank you, Thomas Lark!

Denver-Based Professor Is Shark Tooth Expert

The professor has just written a book on the subject: Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast. (Top Left) These shark teeth were among those found along Edisto Beach by noted shark tooth expert Dr. Ashley Oliphant of Denver. (Top Right) Look at the size of that thing! This shark tooth is enormous. But don’t let that keep you out of the water, folks. Dr. Ashley Oliphant notes that shark attacks have been over-hyped and exaggerated by the media. (Bottom) More teeth from Oliphant’s collection are seen here. (Photos Courtesy of Dr. Ashley Oliphant) Thomas Lark Staff Writer DENVER, N.C.––With multiple attacks off the Carolina coast these days, sharks are in the news more than ever. And Lincoln County has its own homegrown expert on the topic of shark teeth. Dr. Ashley Oliphant of Denver is an associate professor of English at Pfeiffer University. Sarasota, Fla.-based publisher Pineapple Press has just published Oliphant’s Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast. A launch party for the book will be held Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles R. Jonas Library in downtown Lincolnton. This free event will begin with a short presentation and a chapter reading. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session and an opportunity for the public to interact with Oliphant’s impressive collection of more than 10,000 shark teeth. A reception will also be included, along with a book-signing. Books will available for $10 each. And the writer will be on hand at next month’s Apple Festival, too. Look for her at the east end of Main Street. Born in Gastonia, Oliphant lives in Denver with her husband and their 4-year-old son. She grew up in Lincoln County, the daughter of Joe and Beth Yarbrough. She has an older brother, Tony. Dr. Oliphant is a 1996 Lincolnton High School graduate. She is also a graduate of the universities of North Carolina at Charlotte and Greensboro. A brilliant student, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English at UNCC a scant three years after her high school graduation. Her master of arts in English literature followed at UNCC another three years later. Her 2007 doctorate from UNCG is in 20th-century American literature. Her dissertation concerned legendary author Ernest Hemingway. “I am entering my eighth year on the faculty at Pfeiffer University,” she said, “and I am currently an associate professor of English and the faculty fellow for the Francis Center for Servant Leadership.” A hobby you can sink your teeth into For the past 20 years, Oliphant has combed beaches all along the East Coast in search of sharks’ teeth. The Carolina shores are brimming with fossil shark teeth. But they can be difficult to find without this unique guide, Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast. Readers will learn where shark teeth are, how to spot them and how to identify their species. Oliphant uses an inviting writing style to share her passion and knowledge of hunting shark teeth. This guide makes the fossil-hunting experience fun and uncomplicated. You’ll find out which beaches and which parts of the beach will likely have the most shark teeth, and you’ll learn which seasons and what weather will bring you the most success. The book’s easy-to-use reference section offers speedy identification of teeth, from the common blacktip to the rare great white shark. Photographs of each species highlight the distinguishing features. “I started writing the book when my son was just an infant,” said Oliphant. “The first draft, about 80 pages, rolled out like it had been waiting to be written for years. The whole process of publishing, from first draft through publication, was around two or three years. Before submitting a manuscript, I completed a great deal of research about the publishers that would be most appropriate for my book idea. In the end, I only submitted the manuscript to one publisher, and it was accepted.” So what inspired the professor to create this book? “Like many families who live inland in North and South Carolina, going to the coast for a week in the summer was my family’s annual ritual,” she noted. “My dad and I have always been fascinated by things that wash up on the beach, but we were not focused on shark teeth until I was in my early teens. Like so many great hobbies, shark tooth hunting is addictive, and once you start, you really cannot stop. I love it, because there is always something new to find, and very often what you find requires research to identify.” Oliphant also spoke of the recent wave of shark attacks. “The Carolinas are above average this year for the number of shark encounters,” she said. “The same thing happened in Florida, about 10 or 15 years ago. My personal opinion is that these attacks are the result of a food chain issue. Everything a shark does relates to finding its next meal. Humans are not at the top of a shark’s menu. Most shark bites are test bites: the animal strikes and realizes that the human is not really what it wants to eat. I have been to the beach several times with my family this summer, and we have gone into the ocean but never into deep water, where we would be unable to fight off an attack. At the beach we are always cognizant of the signs that the food chain is in action: fish are visibly schooling; fish are jumping out of the water; and birds are diving and catching fish. When people see those signs, it is smart to get out of the water for a while. “Likewise,” she added, “there are many things humans can do to reduce their risk of shark encounters. Avoid the use of boogie boards or surf boards, which can make you look like a seal to a shark below you. Never swim with your dog or when other people have their dogs in the water. Swim in groups and never at dawn or dusk. Avoid swimming near piers or where people are fishing. Do not wear jewelry, such as bracelets, anklets and necklaces, in the ocean. As always, know that if you are in the water, you are on the shark’s turf. I’ve seen several large sharks in shallow water this year. The events of this summer are no reason for panic, though many news outlets have attempted to sensationalize these stories. A shark in the water is not breaking news. The situation with shark attacks in the Carolinas already seems to have calmed down, just as it always does. With all this said, I know the people, especially the children, who were attacked by sharks this summer are in a lot of pain. I wish them a speedy recovery.” Oliphant continued that her book is available now on Amazon and at dozens of other Internet outlets. In the coming weeks, it will be available in local bookstores and at piers, beach shops and bookstores at the coast. “If you want the book, and your favorite store doesn’t carry it, ask for it,” she said. “I will be traveling on a small book tour all over North and South Carolina this year. Readers can visit my Amazon Author Central page at http://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Oliphant/e/B00MSBTBZE. That page contains upcoming events and my blog posts.” Of teaching and writing In her spare time, Oliphant enjoys live music, motor sports and gardening. She is also an animal welfare advocate, dedicated to euthanasia reform at animal shelters. As for teaching and writing, the one complements the other, as the professor noted. “Teaching as a profession is a wild ride, as any teacher will tell you,” Oliphant observed. “I really enjoy working with students, especially those who have had bad experiences with English classes or with writing in the past. Nothing is more rewarding than helping a student realize he or she can do it. Publishing provides me with an interesting counterbalance to teaching. It requires a different kind of energy and creativity. Even when I am frustrated with a paragraph or a chapter, I am always invigorated by the writing process. I feel most alive when I am working on a book project.” And Oliphant’s readers will be glad of the good news. There’s another book on the way, as she revealed. “I am working on my next book now,” she said. “It is about Ernest Hemingway, but the topic is top-secret!” http://lincolnherald.net/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=181&ArticleID=13006

These excellent Snaggletooth (Hemipristis) teeth were given to me by a new friend I met on the beach in Cherry Grove this week. He dug them out of a branch of the Edisto River in South Carolina. I love the brown color of these fossils, the result of many thousands of years in the mud. Thanks, Mark!

Below is a great article about my book written by Joel Barrio in today's Denver (NC) Weekly. If you have a print copy of the paper, the article is on p. 11.

Denver author creates shark tooth hunting guide

By Joel Barrio

DENVER – In a summer when at least eight people have been bitten by sharks off the Tar Heel State’s coast, a Denver resident has released a new book on shark teeth.

Ashley Oliphant’s new book, "Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast," is published by Pineapple Press. Inspired by her collection of more than 10,000 shark teeth, Oliphant decided to create a guide to help people identify all the different kinds of shark teeth.

The book became available online at Amazon.com in June and is available in a handful of book stores. Oliphant is currently touring the Carolina coast in order to promote her book and get it available on as many bookshelves as possible. A launch party for the book is set for Aug. 13 at the Charles Jonas R. Library in Lincolnton.

Oliphant is set to appear at the Lincoln County Apple Festival on Sept. 19 for a meet-and-greet and book-signing. She will also appear as a speaker where she teaches at Pfeiffer University to promote her book. Her collection of shark teeth will also be making an appearance at the launch party and the other scheduled events.

Shark teeth hunting has always been enjoyable for Oliphant. The start of her collection goes back to nearly 20 years ago along the North Carolina and South Carolina coastlines.

“Whenever I was out on the beach for family vacations I would always find myself picking up these teeth along the shore,” said Oliphant. “About five to six years ago I had this massive collection of teeth and couldn’t find any way to identify all of them.”

This is when she knew she had to create a resource for shark teeth identification.

She found it hard to identify her collection because of a lack of pictures, so she made sure her book has plenty of crisp, high resolution images for each kind of tooth to make the process easier for readers.

Oliphant has been an associate professor in the English department at Pfeiffer University for the last eight years. Her doctoral dissertation was completed at UNC Greensboro in 2007. During her undergrad and graduate school years, Oliphant worked with the "National Speed Sport News" in Mooresville for 10 years. She said working with the newspaper prepared her for teaching and publishing her book.

Not only is Oliphant a published author, she has also been a large advocate for animal facility reform in the Lincoln County area as one of the founders of the Humane Voters of Lincoln County. Her efforts have succeeded in getting rid of gas-chamber euthanasia within the county, and she’s working to make the region a no-kill zone for rescued animals in shelters.

As for the shark attacks on the Carolina coastline this summer, Oliphant says she thinks the sharks are experiencing a food chain issue. Until the issue settles, beachgoers should stay out of the water and watch out for schools of fish or birds diving into the water. This can be a sign that sharks are close by looking for food. She says it’s not worth panicking over, but take caution.

Michael Walter Photo

We all heard about nine-year-old Kristen Barrick's remarkable finds on the beach at the Cherry Grove Pier in June. I'm hearing from sources who hunt there daily that the good fossil hunting has continued all through the summer. I will be down that way promoting the book very soon, so I will provide a detailed report when I return. 

Our New Logo

The launch party for the book is now scheduled! I am so pleased to announce that the event has been booked at the Charles R. Jonas Library in Lincolnton, the very first place where my love of books was cultivated. The night will start with a quick presentation and a chapter reading. Afterward, I will take questions and open my collection of nearly 10,000 shark teeth for show and tell. Books will be on sale for $10 each (cash or check only), and I will be available to sign them. If you are planning to attend, I would appreciate an RSVP through Facebook or to lincolnvoters@gmail.com. My Pfeiffer University students will tell you that once I get started, there is really no telling where we'll end up. Come on out for a fun time with fossils. What else do you have going on a Thursday night?

Tybee Island, GA, known as "Savannah's Beach" because of its close proximity to the city, is a good place to find small shark teeth. The shell hash looks a lot like the kind found on beaches in the middle part of the NC coast (like Topsail Island and Emerald Isle) and on beaches like Edisto in SC. If you have never been to Savannah, put it at the top of your travel to-do list, and take a day to visit Tybee while you are there.

Real Photo, Wrong Details

This photo is making the rounds on Facebook today, though the details of the catch seem to be wrong. While a radio station's post claims this pregnant hammerhead  was caught recently on St. Simons Island, GA, near the King and Prince, the photo was actually posted by Team Rebel, a group of shark fishermen in Florida, in 2010. Team Rebel claims the shark was released alive, which is always good news. To harvest shark meat, the animal has to be fileted while alive; otherwise the dead animal releases a liquid that taints the meat. Therefore, there is no humane way to get shark meat for consumption. In my opinion, that's nature's way of telling us to eat something else.

Cherry Grove Treasure

I have hunted shark teeth all over the eastern seaboard, but my favorite spot will always be Cherry Grove, SC. The area right around the pier is known for its consistently good fossil hunting. Some great megalodons wash up there from time to time as well. I am hoping to stop there next week. If I find anything worthwhile, I'll be sure to post!

The Big Sharks

Photo credit: St. Simons (GA) Bait and Tackle Facebook Page

The big sharks are biting in St. Simons, GA! 

Kyle Meyer, a regular shark fisherman on the St. Simons pier, hooked this 6.5-foot bull shark yesterday. Every big shark I've ever seen caught on that pier has been tagged and released, as it should be. If you want regular updates about the great catches that happen in that part of the ocean year-round, like St. Simons Bait and Tackle on Facebook. I'll share some of the best posts from that site on my blog from time to time.

Monday Hide and Seek

Today's blog post is courtesy of one of my favorite former Pfeiffer University students, Kaleigh Featherstone, who is now studying to be a doctor. Can you spot the shark tooth in the photograph?

Edisto Island, SC

If you have never visited Edisto Island, SC, book your trip today. I recently found these treasures in one hour at Edisto Beach State Park. Don't forget to take your bug spray; there are biting insects on the beach, and their bites itch for weeks afterward.

Look closely and you'll see the south end of a 4-foot bonnethead shark that swam into very shallow water (less than 12 inches) to feed on St. Simons Island, GA, last week. A few moments later, a 5-footer ventured into the same shallow water. I saw small sharks feeding in the same spot everyday right as the incoming tide starting washing over a sandbar. Remember that when you see feeder fish jumping and birds diving in the water, the food chain is doing its thing. That means it is time to get out of the water for a while.

The early shark tooth hunter gets the ultra-rare modern tooth! We found this lemon shark tooth (only the third modern tooth in my entire collection of 10,000) at the break of dawn one morning this past May on the northern end of Topsail Island, NC. The completely white tooth and root indicate that it is not fossilized but could have actually been in the shark's mouth that morning. As the old song goes, "Only the curious have something to find."

This happy little collection of fossil shark teeth was found under the F.J. Torras Causeway bridge in St. Simons, GA. When the waterway was dredged to construct the big bridge, the spoil pile (all of the sand and debris from the former ocean floor) was dumped on the bank. Treasure hunters can find all kinds of nifty objects, like tortoise shell bits, Native-American pottery shards and rare shells and fossils. I once found a completely intact cow shark tooth while wading in the waterway. This location is also a great place to fish, crab and watch for manatees and dolphins. Just before you arrive on St. Simons, make a right into the Morningstar Marina. Then take an immediate right and drive down to the boat launch. I wouldn't recommend hunting alone here; it is very secluded, and there are some sketchy characters who like to loiter. Be sure to check the tides before you head out; only low tide will do.

The first leg of my book tour is being scheduled now. The first confirmed date is a September 18th, 2015, stop at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C., to speak to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members about shark tooth hunting on the beaches of North and South Carolina. There will be a book signing after the 10:00 a.m. event. Copies will be available for $10 - cash or check only.

To order your copy of Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast today, please visit Amazon.com.


Be on the lookout, too, for a book launch party in Lincoln County, N.C., in late summer 2015.