Maryland takes a bite out of history with its first state shark

Nicole Pilsbury, The Baltimore Sun on Oct 1, 2026

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Maryland is officially the first state in the nation to designate a state shark: The extinct megalodon became one of the state symbols Thursday as nearly 300 new laws took effect.

The megalodon was the largest predatory shark to ever live, according to a news release from the Calvert Marine Museum. Its fossils, including highly coveted teeth, can be found throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, offering insight into prehistoric marine ecosystems, the release added.

“It’s one of the most famous prehistoric marine animals out there,” Delegate Todd Morgan, a sponsor of the bill who represents Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, said at a hearing for the bill in March. “Megalodon roamed the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe he could have been a distant relative of Chessie, the famous monster of the Chesapeake.”

Megalodon teeth can be found in seven Maryland counties: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.

Despite its long-time extinction, the shark represents the ecological importance of sharks in ocean systems and offers opportunities for education about marine life, conservation and the planet’s history, according to the release.

Although the original bill that designated the megalodon as Maryland’s state shark did not make it through the Maryland General Assembly’s legislative session, the designation was added to a bill about commemorative days and state designations sponsored by Sen. Carl Jackson, a Democrat representing Baltimore County.

Stephen Godfrey, a curator of paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum, was involved in the creation of the designation, working with representatives and testifying at hearings to champion the bill after pitching the idea.

A benefit of the shark being extinct is that it doesn’t carry a “fear factor,” but it can still be used to educate people about the animal, Godfrey said.

“We don’t want people to be afraid of sharks,” he said. “We want them to recognize that they’re a very important part of our marine ecosystem.”

Sharks play a large role in regulating species diversity and abundance, Godfrey added.

The megalodon’s designation as the state shark can serve as a way to educate people about other aspects of paleontology, such as what other fossils can be found in Maryland, he said.

“People love big predators,” Godfrey said. “We can use [megalodon] as a hook to teach other things that we might not be able to get across as easily or capture the imagination of children, as does megalodon.”

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