Published on Thursday, July 30, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A family from the U.S. State of Atlanta discovered a prehistoric megalodon shark tooth while vacationing at Santa Teresa Beach in Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste Province, according to a report released Thursday by the travel website Santa Teresa Dirt Road.

According to the report, the family, Dave and Ellie and their two sons, Charlie and Tucker, were walking along the beach on their first day in Costa Rica when Tucker spotted something unusual near the waterline.

The family's last name was not released.

At first, they believed Tucker had found an ordinary shark tooth. After taking a closer look, however, they realized it was a tooth from a megalodon, the report said.

According to scientists, the megalodon (Otodus megalodon) was an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 million to 3.58 million years ago.

The prehistoric predator belonged to the extinct family Otodontidae, which diverged from the lineage of the modern great white shark during the Early Cretaceous period.

Scientists estimate the megalodon reached lengths of about 47 to 80 feet. Its thick, robust teeth were adapted for gripping prey and crushing bone, while its massive jaws generated an estimated bite force of 24,390 to 40,960 pounds.

Tucker's mother, Ellie, told the news source website that her son has long been fascinated by sharks.


"He has shark books, shark things all over his room, and he's always been fascinated by them," she said.

According to the report, the family returned to Atlanta after a weeklong vacation in Costa Rica and took the megalodon tooth home with them.

"It now sits proudly on their kitchen counter at home, where Tucker continues to pick it up, admire it, and show anyone who visits," the report said.

The family's visit this year marked their second trip to Costa Rica. They also vacationed in Santa Teresa Beach in 2021.

Costa Rican law raises questions about the handling of discoveries such as the megalodon tooth.

Under Law No. 6703, the National Archaeological Heritage Law, archaeological objects and items considered important to archaeology, prehistory or science are part of the state's heritage.

The law requires anyone who discovers archaeological objects to report the find to the National Museum of Costa Rica, the institution responsible for administering and protecting the country's archaeological heritage.

The legislation also prohibits the commercial sale or export of archaeological objects by individuals or public or private organizations. Anyone convicted of removing or attempting to remove archaeological objects from the country faces a prison sentence of one to four years.

However, the law does not specifically state whether fossils found in Costa Rica are classified as archaeological objects, leaving uncertainty over how the legislation applies to discoveries such as the megalodon tooth.

Another significant fossil discovery in Costa Rica occurred in February, when American paleontologist Spencer George Lucas discovered fossil remains belonging to two species of Pleistocene megafauna: a Cuvieronius, a giant mastodon related to proboscideans and an Eremotherium, a giant ground sloth that inhabited the region between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago.

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