Father and Son Discover Enormous Shark Tooth Dating Back Over 3 Million Years at Jersey Shore

Mike Bowers and his 11-year-old son, Bo, discovered a megalodon tooth at Sea Isle City beach in New Jersey on Aug. 11. The prehistoric shark went extinct 3.6 million years ago.

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Mike Bowers and his 11-year-old son, Bo, found a rare megalodon tooth while vacationing in Sea Isle City, N.J.

The fossilized shark tooth, confirmed by experts, was likely deposited during beach replenishment project using offshore sand

Megalodon teeth are extremely rare in the state, with fewer than five recorded by the New Jersey State Museum

An 11-year-old boy and his father discovered a giant prehistoric shark’s tooth at a New Jersey beach.

On Aug. 11, Mike Bowers and his son, Bo, found an enormous fossilized shark tooth while exploring a jetty in Sea Isle City during vacation, NBC 4 New York and NJ.com reported.

“I looked down in there, and I couldn’t believe myself,” Mike, 42, told NJ.com. “I almost fell over … my knees were shaking,” he added to NBC 4 New York.

The father and son, visiting from Pittsburgh, Pa., reported their discovery to the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center (CMWRC). The foundation confirmed via Facebook on Saturday, Aug. 15 that the tooth belonged to a megalodon — a prehistoric shark which went extinct approximately 3.6 million years ago.

A megalodon is the largest carnivorous shark in history, measuring around 50 to 60 feet long. Its head is around 15.4 feet long, its dorsal fin is 5.2 feet tall and its tail is around 13.1 feet long, according to research published in the journal Science Advances.

Mike and his son discovered the tooth in a narrow opening while digging for rocks in the area, according to the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph.

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A photo shared by CMWRC on Facebook shows the shark tooth barely fitting into Bo’s hand as he held it up for the camera.

“It’s actually a lot heavier than we both thought it would be,” Mike told NBC 4 New York of the rare fossil.

The tooth was likely deposited during Cape May County’s beach replenishment project in the area, CMWRC research director Melissa Laurino told NJ.com. The Sea Isle City portion of the beach replenishment project was completed in July, per the outlet.

“If the sand came from a few miles offshore, it is very possible the tooth came with it,” Laurino continued. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime beach find that the Bowers family will treasure for a lifetime.”

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“It is actually the best condition Megalodon tooth I’ve ever seen. It was pretty incredible,” CMWRC’s Matt Remuzzi told NBC 4 New York.

The New Jersey State Museum has recorded fewer than five megalodon teeth in the state, according to NJ.com.

“I always seem like I find crazy stuff in the water,” Bowers told the outlet. “I never in a million years would have guessed that we would have found something like this. My son was speechless.”

PEOPLE has reached out to CMWRC for further comment.

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