WAUCHULA, Fla. — Fossil hunters can sift through dirt and clay-like material at Bone Valley Experience to dig for a hidden treasure, and Sarah Bates knows exactly what she hopes to find.

What You Need To Know

  • Bone Valley Experience is a spot for fossil hunters

  • Regular finds are a variety of shark teeth

  • Fossil hunters can dig and sift in dirt brought to the site from an undisclosed location

  • More Florida on a Tankful adventures

“I had three or four shovel-fulls of dirt in the sifter, and I was just chit-chatting and then this tooth appeared and I screamed with joy," Bates said. 

She had found the tooth of a megalodon, an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that died off millions of years ago.

“You get a little dirty sometimes, but that's okay!” she said.

Bates first started searching for fossils about six years ago, initially just taking walks with friends and looking for fossils, but eventually, she stepped up her fossil game. 

“I found these guys at Bone Valley Experience, and it was so great to be able to be digging for treasure and not walking into a shop and just purchasing a fossil," Bates said. 

The business in Hardee County is a spot where you can spend the day searching and digging for a variety of different fossils — all of it the brainchild of one man, Thomas Hodge. 

“These are some of the things you can find when you are hunting this location: sand shark, tiger and bull sharks, even small megalodon teeth," Hodge said. 

Thomas has been hunting for fossils and running his business for more than 40 years. His love of the past started with Native American history, and eventually, he learned more about the art and hobby of fossil hunting. 

“I've had such a great time sharing this experience with everyone, and it really has been a really life-rewarding experience for me," Hodge said. 

At Bone Valley, dirt is brought into the dig site from an undisclosed private location. The dirt is from 20 feet down in the Earth, the Miocene fossil layer, Hodge said.

“It's just great to get away from your computer and come dig in the dirt and search for treasure," Bates said. 

The Bone Valley Experience is by appointment only. You can call or book a trip online. For more information on the experience and what you'll need for a day of digging, visit its website.