‘Crazy find’: Man finds rare, fully intact mammoth jaw while diving

A man found a rare, fully intact mammoth jaw while diving in alligator-infested waters. (Source: WBBH)
Published: Nov. 16, 2023 at 5:08 PM EST
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ACARDIA, Fla. (CNN) - A Florida fossil finder recently made a discovery of a lifetime when finding a fully intact mammoth jaw.

John Kreatsoulas runs Fossil Junkies Dig and Dive Charters in Florida and says he found the rare discovery in alligator-infested waters.

“I grabbed onto it just to hold on for a second and I realized, ‘Wait a second that’s not a tree, that is a mammoth,’” John Kreatsoulas said.

According to Kreatsoulas, he only dives in those waters during the winter when gators are more dormant.

Kreatsoulas estimates the jaw to be about 10,000 years old.

“That’s the first one I’ve found in my whole life,” Kreatsoulas said.

He said he is getting it restored and is registering it with the state of Florida.

If state officials don’t take it. Kreatsoulas said he’ll happily display it in his home.

“It’s really cool and a crazy find,” Kreatsoulas said.