July 2005 Chesapeake Bay Excursion - Day 2

After getting 6 hours sleep (double the amount from the previous day!!) we headed out with a fellow (from here on know as Paleoscan) who is a long-time visitor to the ditchweezil site. Maybe we should get him an on-line name DW - what do you think? Anyway, we went out to some sweet spots on the Potomac River. Paleoscan has a few intermediary teeth, a crossover between otodus and ariculatis and we were hoping to add one of those to someone’s collection.

Site 4. First we visited an older site were the best finds were small crocodile teeth and some small sharks teeth in primo condition. We also tried a spot that I had visited years ago to the north but Isabel had ravaged the site and the very production little stretch of cliff was gone, totally covered by falling sediments. Perhaps in a few years it will be worth another visit.

Site 5. The second site held the possibility of the intermediary tooth but all we found was crap. And I do mean crap. Someone had relieved themselves on the beach the previous day and we had to pass over his sun-baked pile. The offender didn’t even bother to try and conceal his mess, and it reeked most foul. This was a precursor of our trip here, we were denied the coveted intermediary tooth find, but we still found teeth. Small teeth, but still we have been out at five spots in two days and had yet to get skunked.

Site 6. That evening we rode the Bay Mistress to another river spot, this one on the Patuxent where some Choptank was exposed. Here we each found some decent teeth but nothing over 2”. It was fossilguy and my first visit to the site, but this was a return visit for Paleoscan. It was however, much changed since his last, pre-hurricane Isabel visit as well. Less exposure was accessible and more riprap had been installed. Not a promised land like we were hoping for but a nice spot. Makos were the tooth dejour at this site as each of use found at least one over an inch in good condition. Always good to get one of those!!!