Couple finds prehistoric megalodon tooth on NC beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WSET) - A couple didn't find the typical seashell or sea glass on a North Carolina beach.

According to WECT, Sydney Williams found a megalodon tooth on a walk down Wrightsville Beach.

The megalodon, star of summer blockbuster "The Meg," was a prehistoric shark, so the tooth could be millions of years old.

Williams told WECT she and her boyfriend Brian Piccirilli go on walks on the beach most mornings, but have never found anything like this.

“Well, [Brian] dropped down to his knees and was just kind of like, ‘Ahhhh!’” Williams said.

“We called our parents. They were excited,” Piccirilli said. “And then showed everyone at work.”

The couple brought the megalodon tooth to their friend, Audrey Longtin, who works at The Workshop.

The Workshop is a store that specializes in shark tooth jewelry, and Longtin was able to confirm that the tooth had belonged to a megalodon long, long ago.

“As soon as a tooth is over 3 1/2 to 4 inches long, you know it’s a megalodon,” Longtin said. “The megalodon is the biggest predator that ever existed, so they are the biggest teeth you can find. So, when you find something that big, it’s easy to recognize.”

According to Longtin, the find was pretty rare.

Williams and Piccirilli plan to keep the tooth and show it off in a shadow box.