Cooper River, Charleston, SC

Various Formations

Pleistocene, Oligocene, Pliocene and Miocene

Most people come here in search of the elusive Megalodon.



Sunrise on the Cooper River

The Cooper River cuts through the South Carolina low country which has been subjected to repeated cycles of marine intrusion and recession. From the dam at Lake Marion
to the mouth in Charleston, the Cooper cuts a meandering path through several geological formations of Cenozoic sea beds ranging from 17 MYA to present.
Each seabed layer is rich in shark's teeth, whale bones and other fossils. The fossils erode out of the banks and collect on the bottom of the river.






Wild Life

The river is also home to an abundance of wild life. It is common to see porpoises, fishing eagles, jumping fish and a few alligators... While diving, you can
expect to encounter catfish, crabs flounders and shrimp. Although the alligators are around, there are very few historical accounts of them attacking divers.

Click on the alligator's nose to see a short video!




The 15 mile section of the Cooper River

The water, sourced from the inland cypress swamps is heavily tainted with tannins which block out the sunlight below about 15 feet of depth, i.e. its "black water".
The entire section is subject to twice daily tidal fluctuations which results in extreme currents, especially on the outgoing tide when combined with the normal river flow.
Fossils, deposited in the multiple strata of seabed, erode out of the river banks and spill into the bottom of the river, mostly collecting in gravel beds along the bank.
The only way to reach the fossils is to scuba dive into the black water with sometimes extreme currents, not to mention sunken trees and wildlife.
Diving the Cooper is NOT for the faint of heart. Unless you are a local with a suitable boat, it is necessary to dive with a charter that serves the trade.

A "Hobby License"from the state of South Carolina, available on-line , is also required to collect any fossils and/or artifacts and no "digging" is permitted.




Pontoon Style Dive Boat

I always dive with Mark Johnson of DivetheCooper.Com, who uses a pontoon boat to accommodate four or five divers. Others use smaller boats.
Keep in mind, that the more divers in your group, then the more crowded gravel beds can get.




Typical Dive Profile

The typical depth ranges from 25 feet to 40 feet and the maximum depth is about 50 feet, so the bottom time ranges
from 50 to 90 minutes depending on the tank size and the level of effort to battle the current!
We usually can make three dives per day, centered across the turn of the tide.




SCUBA Set Up

The river bottom has widely varying topography, including lots of sand dunes, sunken trees, bare hard pan, mud balls and gravel beds. The fossils erode out of the banks
and mostly collect in the gravel beds. The dive captain knows generally where the gravel beds are located so if you can drop into a gravel bed, you are likely to find
some fossils. There are lots of bone fragments, teeth and other marine and terrestrial animal remains. However, 90% of the sharks teeth are worn and broken so a good
condition shark tooth is not easy to find. Bone fragments are common but are also usually river worn by the movement associated with the cyclical tidal currents.

The river also carries a high level of sediment so the visibility for SCUBA diving is usually limited to less than 12" at the bottom of the river. This means
that in addition to full SCUBA gear, one must have a very bright light source in order to see and recover the fossils. A collecting bag is also a requirement.
Since you will also be battling the tidal current, a large screwdriver is used to help maintain your position on the bottom, giving you the opportunity to hunt.




Black Water Visibility

The visibility at the bottom is typically about 12 inches. On an outgoing tide, it might get to 18 to 24 inches. Under slack tides with lots of sediment it
can be nearly impossible to see at all. The dive operator should be knowledgable about the visibility and tide conditions to optimize the diving conditions.
The rubber necklace for the regulator mouthpiece is essential due to the number of trees you will encounter. Diving the Cooper is not for the faint of heart.



Videos of Finding Teeth In The River

I use a cheapo knock-off video camera attached to my screwdriver to capture the moments of discovery.
Click on the each of the teeth above to see examples of the conditions at the bottom of the river.




Megalodon

The goal for most people who come here is to go home with a nice big C. megalodon tooth. It took me three trips and 8 days of diving to finally find a nice big one.
Click on the tooth to see the other side.




Megalodon Teeth found in June 2025



Spear Point, Bolen Style - Approximately 9000 Years Old

The low country has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Artifacts span the range from 9,000 year old spear points to Bubba's beer can from last weekend.
Arrow heads are regularly found on the river bottom. As with the fossils, the river is not always kind to the points but on occasion, a nice one can be found.





Pre-Columbian Native American Earthenware "Punctated" Pottery Sherds

Pottery sherds are common in some areas of the river. They range from earthenware dated at over 5,000 years old to glazed dinner ware from the colonial period.
The decorations impressed into the surface are called "punctations". The designs appear to identify with tribes and time period.These punctated sherds are over 2000 years old.

This link is a resource for identifying any pottery you find : -->South Carolina Pottery




Results of 5 Days of Diving

Once you get the hang of it, you will find fossils. This is my haul from a recent 5 day trip, three dives per day.




The Diligent Divers: Lee - Ted - Jason (FossilGuy)

Please note how they are both staring at my Meg tooth!




See Jason's report at his most excellent and educational website!




To schedule a dive trip contact Mark at his website.




E-Mail me: tngray@nautiloid.net



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