Sperm Whale Tooth
Physeteroidea
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A large, heavy, banana-shaped fossil tooth that is mostly root, with growth rings in cross-section.
- Typical size
- 2–6 in
- How often it turns up
- Rare
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Safe to handle
A vertebrate fossil that is not a shark or ray tooth: collecting it on Florida state land or water, including beaches below the high-tide line, requires a Florida Museum Fossil Permit. Teeth from modern whales are protected by federal law — never keep them.
How to tell it apart
- Large, heavy, curved cone
- Mostly root with a small worn enamel cap
- Concentric growth rings where broken
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for fossils. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
- Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood
- Turner Beach · Captiva
- Turtle Beach · Siesta Key
Found one?
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Commonly confused with
Fossil Dolphin ToothOdontoceti (small toothed whales)
Dolphin teeth are small simple cones; sperm whale teeth are large, heavy and mostly root.
More fossils in the field guide
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