CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — No state has ever designated an official state shark and Maryland is trying to be the first.
The Calvert Marine Museum is advocating for the designation of the extinct megalodon to be Maryland's official state shark.
"With numerous living and extinct shark species known from Maryland, we believe the state is well positioned to lead the way. Maryland waters are home to many shark species that live in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast," the museum said.
Dr. Stephen Godfrey believes its footprint, or teethprint, in Maryland makes it worthy of being designated as the state shark.
RELATED: Effort underway in Annapolis to make megalodon the Maryland state shark
He and his colleague, John Nance, were talking about megalodon and the idea came up to make it the state shark. They drafted up a bill and sent it to Sen. Jack Bailey and House Delegate Todd Morgan, who filed it to be considered during this year's legislative session.
Megalodon teeth the size of human hands can be found on beaches along the Chesapeake Bay.
The shark was one of the largest predators ever, believed to have grown nearly 80 feet in length.
Most of the information we have about this shark comes from its teeth.
Its teeth have been found in several counties including Anne Arundel, Caroline, Calvert, Charles, Dorchester, Prince George's and St. Mary’s. A popular spot to find them is along Calvert Cliffs in Southern Maryland.
In 2024, several professional and avocational paleontologists discovered 53 teeth along Calvert Cliffs.
RELATED: New set of Megalodon teeth discovered in Maryland
These teeth are from one shark and experts estimate the shark would have been close to 50 feet long.
Godfrey hopes to get a group together to testify in Annapolis during the session in support of the bill.
