One to two inches of visibility doesn’t excite many divers, and I can’t think of a noncommercial reason why someone would willingly brave blackwater conditions, facing strong currents, near zero visibility, and even the occasional alligator. Yet, I’ve found myself doing just that, including a dive in New York City’s East River in the middle of January, battling frigid waters and a six knot current.
Why? It’s all about treasure.
Not gold or shipwrecks, but fossils. Florida is a fossil mecca, a prehistoric goldmine where remnants of ancient life lie buried beneath riverbeds and sediments. From the massive teeth of giant sharks like Megalodon and ancient whales to Ice Age beasts like Smilodon, mastodons, mammoths, giant ground sloths, and other bizarre creatures most people have never heard of, Florida’s fossil record is both rich and fascinating.
Recovering a Mastodon lower mandible with intact teeth
I discovered this passion while working my way through college to become an educator. To cover tuition, I became a commercial spearfisherman and worked part time at a dive shop. It wasn’t long before I earned my instructor certification, eventually training hundreds of Open Water and Advanced Open Water students. One course we offered was fossil diving, taught by a local expert, Dr. Bob Sinibaldi. Out of curiosity, I sat in on a session and found myself intrigued enough to assist with one of his classes on the Peace River. That day marked my first fossil dive and the moment I found my first Megalodon tooth.
Assortment of Megalodon Shark teeth from a dive in Venice FL
Since then, my diving pursuits might seem irrational, even extreme, at first glance, sometimes making me wonder if I am dangerously close to becoming a Florida Man. But as a Marine Corps veteran and dive instructor, I approach every dive with risk management at the forefront. It comes down to three pillars: training, experience, and equipment.
I constantly seek advanced and specialized courses like SDI’s Solo Diver and scientific diving programs focused on underwater surveying and artifact recovery. Experience is the trickiest part because it’s the classic catch-22: you need experience to gain experience. The solution is gradual exposure, starting in clear, calm waters, then progressively challenging yourself with lower visibility, stronger currents, and more complex environments.
When it comes to gear, I ensure each piece, from my regulator to my fins, is the best and most suitable for the environment. The Perdix 2 fits right in, and I love its ultra-bright, clear display that remains easy to read even in extreme dark water conditions. The wireless air integration eliminates a hose that could otherwise become tangled in underwater hazards like trees and fishing lines we routinely crawl through.
Checking my Perdix 2 moments after discovering a 5’’ Megalodon tooth
Of course, some risks are unavoidable, like alligators. Almost every river we dive in Florida is home to American alligators. We do our best to avoid them, but encounters are inevitable. If we see a large gator basking near a bend in the river, we’ll simply move farther downstream. Underwater, though, it’s a different story. I’ve come face to face with gators dozens of times, often not realizing they were there until I was within inches. That split second of internal panic is quickly replaced by controlled, deliberate movements, slowly backing away, minimizing disturbance, and exiting the water as quietly as possible.
Gators don’t typically view divers as prey because they don’t hunt large animals underwater. However, they’re opportunistic and curious, which makes accidental bumping the biggest concern. My longtime fossil diving buddy, Henry Sadler, had a close call while drifting along a river bottom when he accidentally kicked a gator in the face. The gator responded with a defensive bite to his foot and leg. Thankfully, he managed to escape with minor injuries and a good story. Another diver I know, Jeffrey Heim, wasn’t as lucky. While freediving in about eight feet of water, a gator struck from behind, biting his head with incredible force. Thanks to quick action from bystanders, he survived with 34 staples in his skull and no lasting brain injury.
These experiences have taught us valuable lessons. It is important to always move forward on the river bottom to spot gators before accidentally colliding with them. Minimizing surface activity is critical because less splashing reduces curiosity from large reptiles. When diving, it is essential to descend quickly and exit calmly to avoid drawing attention.
Recovering C. Mammoth rib bones
It’s been over a decade since my first fossil dive. I’ve logged more than a thousand fossil dives across Florida’s major rivers and along the United States East Coast, from Georgia and the Carolinas to Alabama. I’ve had the privilege of discovering scientifically significant sites, many of which I’ve donated along with countless fossils to institutions like the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian.
Each fossil tells a story, a tangible link to Earth’s distant past. But for me, they’re more than artifacts. Every rare, hard won specimen is a trophy, not just of ancient life but of the adventures, friendships, and memories forged along the way. When I hold a fossil, I remember the dive, the people I was with, and even the smell of the river that day. They’re time capsules, not just of prehistory but of my own life’s journey.
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About Rick Cochrane:
Rick Cochrane grew up in Florida and joined the Marine Corps after high school, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds a Master’s degree in Education and is a science teacher at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rick runs the school's paleontology club, where he shares his passion for fossils with students. A former SDI SCUBA instructor, he enjoys collaborating with researchers and diving in places they can't reach. Rick also documents many of his adventures and shares them on social media under the handle @DigDiveDiscover.
