Paleo Discoveries
Paleo Discoveries
5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
102 reviews
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Harry M
1 contribution
Jan 2020
If you are looking for an extremely fun, friendly, full-service fossil collecting excursion, look no further!
Paleo Discoveries fossil hunting tours are great for first time fossil hunters as well as amateur and professional paleontology enthusiasts of any age. Fred, who runs all of the Paleo Discoveries fossil collecting tours, is very friendly and easy-going. He has decades of fossil collecting experience in Florida and extensive knowledge of marine and terrestrial vertebrate fossils found in Florida and elsewhere along the eastern USA.
Fred provides all of the collecting gear required to find your own fossils (including canoes to take tour guests to less frequently collected areas) and shows you where and how to dig for fossils in a fun and safe environment.
Having been on many collecting tours with Paleo Discoveries, I have observed firsthand several megalodon teeth found on each tour. In addition to the chance of finding megalodon teeth, all collectors will go home with many other fossils including teeth belonging to other shark species and marine and terrestrial mammal bones and teeth.
Fred is reliable and always on-time for his tours and provides timely responses to all inquiries about the tours and available tour dates.
If you are looking for a fun, outstanding day of fossil collecting in Florida, I highly recommend Paleo Discoveries!
Paleo Discoveries fossil hunting tours are great for first time fossil hunters as well as amateur and professional paleontology enthusiasts of any age. Fred, who runs all of the Paleo Discoveries fossil collecting tours, is very friendly and easy-going. He has decades of fossil collecting experience in Florida and extensive knowledge of marine and terrestrial vertebrate fossils found in Florida and elsewhere along the eastern USA.
Fred provides all of the collecting gear required to find your own fossils (including canoes to take tour guests to less frequently collected areas) and shows you where and how to dig for fossils in a fun and safe environment.
Having been on many collecting tours with Paleo Discoveries, I have observed firsthand several megalodon teeth found on each tour. In addition to the chance of finding megalodon teeth, all collectors will go home with many other fossils including teeth belonging to other shark species and marine and terrestrial mammal bones and teeth.
Fred is reliable and always on-time for his tours and provides timely responses to all inquiries about the tours and available tour dates.
If you are looking for a fun, outstanding day of fossil collecting in Florida, I highly recommend Paleo Discoveries!
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EOB
2 contributions
Feb 2022
Last weekend was our first time fossiling so we decided to book with Fred at Paleo Discoveries, and I'm very glad we did! Fred was very personable and knowledgeable about the history and geology of the area, as well as the artifacts we found - and boy did we find a LOT, including dozens and dozens of shark teeth (including a few mini-megs!), dugong bones, stingray bite plates another other various fossils. Fred eent out of his way to help and talk with my young daughter, making this a great family experience. He even shoveled for a number of people in out group so they could focus primarily on the sifting/sorting rather than the digging! I'd highly recommend him, especially if you're a family (with younger or older individuals) and don't have a lot of experience with this activity.
Written February 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alicia B
Omaha, NE51 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We ventured out to the Peace River for some fossil hunting on April 7th. Fred was an excellent guide, helping us navigate the shallow waters in our canoe, and getting in the water to shovel up gravel and fossils for us to sift. He was so helpful identifying the various fossils. We ended up with 3+ MEG teeth and many more smaller shark teeth and bones. Bring water, lunch, good water shoes - and SUNSCREEN. Fred provides the canoes, life jackets, fossil hunting permit, shovels and sifters. I didn’t even know fossil hunting was a thing until our daughter suggested this excursion. This was a perfect activity for my husband and I with our two teen kids. Highly recommend!!!
Written April 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DAVID A
2 contributions
Jun 2021
Beautiful day, tranquil spot (they don't call it the Peace River for nothing), fossils- hard not to have a great time. Would not recommend the activity for young children as the activity is hard and the guide has little patience for them. Wasn't much in the way of education or activities to engage kids who might tire of 5-6 hours of sifting through mud. Some more instruction would have been nice. Also worth noting that the somewhat steep cost is for use of a canoe, shovel and sifter. If you have access to those things yourself, it's possible to replicate the experience at less cost. All in all, a cool day however.
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Weston
2 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
My wife and I had a fantastic time on the river and surely Fred put us on the fossils. The tour was incredible, and Fred made sure each person had a great time. He paid attention to each person in the group and was a wealth of knowledge about the area and the finds. He went out of of his way to help each of us, no matter our skill level or fossil hunting experience. I highly recommend booking a tour with Paleo Discoveries for both novices and those who have many years of experience fossil hunting. You will have a great time, learn a lot, and come back with a variety of great fossils.
Written March 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave I
Canal Winchester, OH6 contributions
Jan 2021
With all fossil hunting in Florida, we should have been here 20 years ago when it was easy, BUT... Fred knows his stuff and I would have to say we had a great time. We did end with one nice Meg and a pretty Mako...and many other naive teeth. If you can paddle upstream, use a shovel, then call and make a trip you won’t regret.
Written January 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizabeth S
Denver, CO92 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
This was crazy fun, but don’t kid yourselves, lots of work! We paddled a mile upstream through moderate current to an island. Once at the island, there were many different depths people could hunt in from 6” to 3 1/2 ft so everyone could find their comfort zone. But you r digging shovelfuls of ROCK to sift fr teeth through. Fred is world class n has terrific canoes and gears and helps the ladies and kids with loads to sift through. The only thing I wished I had was a trowel to sit and dig with when my arms got too tired to wield the shovel anymore. But I am a weakling. Lots of little clean sharks teeth and extraneous fossils n one meg!
Written November 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Getaway23027505244
Venice, FL13 contributions
Dec 2022
Fred Mazza of Paleo Discoveries leads great fossil hunting trips around the Peace River. He knows the whole river and its tributaries, where to go at what water levels, and which gear produces best at each spot. We came home with handfuls of sharks teeth, dugong ribs, and pieces of fossil alligator teeth, turtle shell, and stingray jaws. One of the other tour participants came away with a beautiful Megalodon tooth 3-4" long. Fred makes sure you don't come away empty handed.
Written December 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melinda Kiser
Sardinia, OH3 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
Fred was more than accommodating to ensure we had "good day" with a tropical storm having recently passed through while we were visiting Florida from Ohio. We canoed in against a strong current, but Fred was patient and kind in helping us work it out. We found so many interesting things, including many sharks' teeth, and even a Megalodon Tooth!
If you're looking for an adventure and some nice fossils, Paleo Discoveries won't disappoint!
He has quick-dry shirts to wear and decals to remind you of your Fun Adventure, so don't forget to ask when the day is wrapping up!
If you're looking for an adventure and some nice fossils, Paleo Discoveries won't disappoint!
He has quick-dry shirts to wear and decals to remind you of your Fun Adventure, so don't forget to ask when the day is wrapping up!
Written November 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rod D
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Family
We had such a great time on the Peace River hunting fossils with Fred and Paleo Discoveries! Highly recommend this trip to anyone that enjoys searching Florida's history. Fred is extremely knowledgeable and runs an outstanding operation fully equipped for hunting fossils on the river! We look forward to going again next year!
Written January 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I didn't specially take that tour, but his prices are typically $75 per person for a walking tour, creek sites or beaches and $90 for a tour that involves kayaking like on the Peace River. Kids are a bit cheaper. So I guess Vero would be $75 for adults, but you can email Fred at the address on his website and he will get in touch with you with the pricing and answer any other questions you may have. Have fun on your collecting trip!
Written August 31, 2016
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