Pictured: American Mastodon Tooth found in the Peace River. Photo courtesy of Fossil Expeditions.

If any place were to evoke connotations of old Florida - a land untouched by time itself - it would be the Peace River. For it is here, only an hour away from Sarasota, where evidence of a primordial world, lies in the riverbed.

Fossil Expeditions, run by the husband and wife team Mark and Marisa Renz, have been leading guided Fossil Trips along the Peace River for the past 25 years.

The outfit offers both walk-in trips - $75 for Adults, $50 for Children 6 to 12 - and kayak trips - $100 for Adults, $65 for Children 6 to 12 - by reservation, each lasting around 5-6 hours. A group permit waives the need for individual fossil licenses. Venturous souls first meet Mark in Arcadia, before following him to one of the many fossil hotspots along the Peace River.

“We wade waist deep into the river and screen wash for fossils of prehistoric sharks, mammals, and reptiles. We’ve found over 20 different species of shark including the Megalodon, Mako, and Great White. In terms of mammals, we’re looking at everything from prehistoric horses, to llama, bison, mammoth, mastodon and even elephants,” says Fossil Expeditions owner Mark Renz.

Because of Florida’s unique geologic history, the fossils found in the Peace River range across geologic periods from the Miocene (estimated 20 million to 5 million years ago) all the way to the Pleistocene or Ice Age (estimated 2.5 million to 11,000 years ago). This has in essence, made the Peace River a time capsule for these ancient treasures.

“You’ll find a Sea Robin nose bone next to a horse tooth alongside a shark’s tooth - all three come from different time periods and habitats, yet here they get jumbled together as the river cuts through geologic eras,” attests Mark.

For Mark, the goal is never to find the biggest or most complete fossil. “I’m interested in the stories that can be told through these fossils and be passed down from generation to generation. It makes me feel more complete,” he says.

Fossil Expeditions, Phone: 239-368-3252, Email: fossilx@earthlink.net,  Office Address: 213 Lincoln Ave, Lehigh Acres, FL 33936. Fossil Trips Location: Peace River between Arcadia and Wauchula, FL - call at 7pm night prior to reservation for exact details on meeting location.

Pictured: American Mastodon Tooth found in the Peace River. Photo courtesy of Fossil Expeditions.

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