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For the longest time I wanted to visit Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach and finally on my birthday in 2023 we made the trek over there.
And I’m so glad we did because I absolutely loved it! Since then I think I’ve been back maybe four times? Five? I’m not even sure but every visit includes some shelling at Fort Clinch.
Most visits have been in the summer so it was warm enough to walk in the water but the most recent was in the winter and it was SO foggy!
There was a ship off the shore that we could clearly see when we got there and it was almost impossible to see when we left!
There are two different parking areas for the beach at Fort Clinch, one early on the park road and the other from the main fort parking area. We always go from the fort area.
Once you’re on the beach from there, you can go left and end up behind the fort or to the right toward the first beach access area.
We always go to the right. The area right where you get onto the beach is usually busy so I like to head to the right and just keep walking. There is a tower thing in the water and I usually go a bit beyond that before turning around.
I like to look for shells along the line where the water comes in, there’s usually the best stuff around there, but sometimes you can find really good things way up on the dry area or in the water a bit.
I absolutely love coming to Fort Clinch to look for shells because there are always tons of other cool things washed up on the beach, too.
I’ve seen moon jellys, cannonball jellys, a perfect dead butterfly, a dead crow, horseshoe crabs, other crabs, and even a sea grape!
This is also, surprisingly, where I’ve had the best luck finding bigger shells in Florida! None were absolutely huge but they’re far bigger than anything I’ve found in SWFL.
I’m not sure exactly what any of them are, and a lot of them have holes in them but I still love them! One thing I’ve noticed here is that there are tons of black and orange shells, which I haven’t really seen at other beaches in Florida. I love it.
While you won’t find some of the shells of SWFL here, there are so many good ones, plus shark teeth galore!
This is a place I would love to keep going back to, any time of year, because I always know there will be tons of cool things to find. If you’ve been wondering if shelling at Fort Clinch is worth it, yes!
What kind of shells are at Fort Clinch?
There are so many types of shells at Fort Clinch and this is actually where I’ve found the biggest sells I have, not southwest Florida! A lot of them are broken in some way but they’re still really cool. Here are some of the shells to find at Fort Clinch:
- Sand dollar
- Scallop
- Olives (I’ve found orange and black ones here!)
- Lightning whelk
- Coral bits
- Moon snails
- Cockles
- Augers
- And so much more
Just want to pop in for a quick PSA to remind you not to take any live shells or sand dollars! Make sure nothing is living in the shells you pick up.
If you do accidentally bring home something that’s alive, don’t sweat it. It’s probably happened to more people than you think. If it happens, bring it back to the beach if you can.
Best time for shelling at Fort Clinch
No matter the time of year you go, low tide is going to be the best for finding shells not just at Fort Clinch, but anywhere. Here is the tide chart I use for Fort Clinch.
I don’t know if there is a specific time of year that’s better for finding shells at Fort Clinch personally but I have seen winter mentioned because of the strong currents, winter storms, and fewer people on the beach.
That said, I think I’ve found better things in the summer so I say just go anytime and you’ll be fine. I really think it entirely depends on the day. After storms (at low tide) will definitely be better though.
If you want to look for shark teeth at Fort Clinch, I would go in the summer since it’s almost necessary to be in the water.
Sea creatures on the beach at Fort Clinch
- Sea grapes
- Moon Jelly
- Cannonball Jelly
- Horseshoe Crab
- Barnacles
- Other crabs
How to find shark teeth at Fort Clinch
One of the big draws to the beach at Fort Clinch is looking for shark teeth. I’ve seen plenty of people just find them on the beach but I haven’t had luck that way so I’ll share my method for finding them, too.
You’ll need a couple of supplies which I have listed below, but for shark teeth specifically you’ll want a shell sifter (or shark tooth sifter since that’s all I use it for), a big sand scoop (not the small shell scoops), and a bag to put your teeth in.
This is easier with two people but can definitely be done alone, too. The sifter has pool noodles on the edge so it floats, which makes that easy.
You just want to go into the water, maybe calf or knee high, take your big scooper and fill it with sand then dump that onto the sifter.
Gently shake the sifter back and forth on top of the water, being careful to not have waves crash over it and wash everything out, until the sand has cleared and you’re left with lots of little rocks and shells and hopefully shark teeth!
You’ll have to kind of move stuff around on the sifter to get a good look at everything, but the shark teeth will be black and kind of blend in with a lot of the small rocks here.
Once you’ve searched the sifter, rinse it and repeat to your hearts content. We probably spent 30, maybe 45, minutes doing this and found five teeth but I know you can find so many more!
We we’re looking at the beach area to the right of the Fort, not north of it. I think that area we were in is generally best for finding shark teeth.
Why are there so many shark teeth at Fort Clinch?
Just across from Fort Clinch is Cumberland Island in Georgia and they’re separated by the Cumberland Sound, a place sharks have hung out since the Ice Age.
You may or may not know, but sharks have rows and rows of teeth and one shark alone can make 30,000 to 50,000 teeth in it’s lifetime!
That means as they fall out they collect in the sediment and eventually wash up on shore as the sediment is pushed around (or get dug up by shark tooth hunters).
Storms disturbing the sand and sediment are particularly good for uncovering teeth. You can find teeth from plenty of shark species like white sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, lemon sharks, and maybe even Megalodons!
What to bring shelling at Fort Clinch
Sunscreen – If you plan on being outside, you’ll want sunscreen. I like the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch a lot AND it’s reef safe! If you’re sensitive to fragrance though, it’s not a good choice. I also like the same one but specifically for your face.
Shell bag – I got these mesh shell bags over the summer and really like them so far. I do wish they were bigger but then I’ll just use two since it came with four. Buy my shell bags here!
Shark tooth sifter – The best and easiest way to find shark teeth is with a sifter. Scoop the sand into it with the sifter below, carefully shake the sand out of it on the water, and dig through whats left. We liked this one. You can use it alone but it’s easier with two people (one to scoop, one to sift). Buy our sifter here!
Big sand scooper – The best way to get the sand into the sifter is with one of these giant scoopers. We liked this one. Buy our scooper here!
Shell scoop (for standing) – A Sand Dipper shell scoop can help you get shells that are under water if you don’t want to snorkel/swim. They can also help just on the beach so you don’t have to bend over. You can scoop the shells right up. Buy a shell scoop here.
Sun hat – I got this giant sun hat and I love it! Mine doesn’t have the lining underneath but they do have some with UPF 50+ linings. Buy my hat here.
Water bottle – It’ll be hot and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Even if it’s not hot you need to stay hydrated. A Hydro Flask will keep your water ice cold all day long.
Headlamp – This is really only necessary if you’re going shelling at the crack of dawn so you can still use your hands to pick up shells and carry your bag.
Where is Fort Clinch State Park?
Fort Clinch State Park is at the very northern tip of Amelia Island, north of Fernandina Beach, in northeastern Florida. Cumberland Island in Georgia is right across the river.
How much is Fort Clinch State Park?
The Fort Clinch State Park (in general) entrance fee is $6 per vehicle and if you want to tour the fort it’s an additional $2.50 per person.
Is shelling at Fort Clinch worth it?
Absolutely yes! People always say the east coast of Florida is terrible for shelling but Fort Clinch is one of my favorite places to go shelling in Florida.
I’ve found so many cool shells and other sea creatures here, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Other posts you may like
Is Fernandina Beach worth visiting?
Fort Clinch shelling photo gallery
Have you been shelling at Fort Clinch? What did you find? Did you find any shark teeth at Fort Clinch?