Florida shark-tooth hunt ends with 5 arrests
Courtesy: North Port Police Department
NORTH PORT, Fla. - Police arrested five people found trespassing at a North Port construction site to hunt for shark teeth.
Danger in the digging pits
What we know:
North Port police responded to a call regarding people trespassing at a private construction site.
Officers said the area had multiple no trespassing signs posted.
Courtesy: North Port Police Department
The five shark-tooth enthusiasts were arrested after entering the property to dig for fossils.
Beyond legal felony trespassing charges, officers warned that heavy rain combined with deep excavation pits made the ground unstable and dangerous.
Courtesy: North Port Police Department
An officer on scene noted that the pits could cave in on solo hunters, leaving them buried until crews re-dig the area.
Safer fossil hunting spots
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the identities of the five people arrested or confirmed if they face additional charges. Police also did not specify the exact street address of the construction site.
Courtesy: North Port Police Department
What you can do:
Rather than risking arrest or injury on dangerous private property, fossil hunters can search for shark teeth legally across Southwest Florida.
Local public spots include Peace River, Caspersen Beach, Venice Beach, Manasota Key Beach, Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the North Port Police Department, which explained how officers responded to the trespassing call and detailed the arrest in a social media post.