Megalodon shark tooth near 7 inches found off North Carolina coast, diver says
A diving instructor known as the Megalodon Tooth Huntress says she found a prehistoric shark tooth nearly 7 inches long off the North Carolina coast.
Sandra Clopp says she was 50 miles offshore with a team or professional divers when the tooth appeared at a depth of 100 feet. It happened on May 16, and a video of discovery has been viewed thousands of times on social media.
“I saw it from a few feet away and could tell it was huge,” Clopp told The Charlotte Observer. “The largest (megalodon) teeth in the world are the 7 (inch) teeth. Only a small handful in this size range have been recovered in NC; or anywhere in the world!”
Fossilera, a leading retailer of fossils, reports 4 to 5 inches is average for megalodon teeth, and anything larger than six inches is rare and represents an “extremely large” shark.
Megalodons ruled the oceans roughly 3.6 million years ago and were estimated at 60-feet in length and 50 tons, the National Museum of Natural History reports.
“The megalodon was a fearsome predator,” the museum says. “It had a powerful bite with a jaw full of teeth as large as an adult human’s hand.”
Clopp’s discovery weighs nearly 1.5 pounds, and retains serrations and “very intact enamel on the front,” she noted.
It was found along a ledge and likely became exposed after a coastal storm churned the sand and broke “apart the matrix that the fossils fossilized in,” she says.
“The ones I find and film are toppers (found on top of the sand). They were more plentiful back when the ledges were first discovered 20 years ago,” Clopp said.
“They are getting scarcer as it can take eons for matrix to break down by ocean movements. ... The chances of finding a 6.94 (inch) or bigger are so slim that it took me 2,000 hours diving off N.C. to find this one.”
It’s actually the third megalodon tooth larger than 6 inches Clopp has found while diving the state’s coastline. The other two were a 6.89-inch tooth and a 6.83-inch tooth, she says.
The latest find may end up as a gift for her parents, she says.
Her prehistoric tooth collection has grown so large that she’s not above selling some to other collectors.
“I’ve lost count. I have drawers of pathological ones, high quality ones, barnacles on some, and unique colors such as Carolina Gold,” says Clopp, who has been a diving instructor for 22 years.
“The thrill of the hunt never goes away. Each tooth is as exciting as an adult Easter egg type hunt can be. Each specimen is different and special; and 2-20 million years old!”
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 7:44 AM.