Meg Goddess Collective

Captain Blair pretty much eats, sleeps, and breathes fossils.

When she's not running charters, you can usually find her working on shark tooth-themed creations for Meg Goddess Designs or diving for teeth, from Venice to North Carolina.

As the daughter of a ship captain who grew up on the coast of Florida, Blair found her love for the water early in life. But after her first fossil dive in 2009, she was immediately hooked. For Blair, there's nothing quite like the thrill of being the first human to discover a piece of history.

After graduating college, she moved to Venice, took a job on a boat, and began working toward becoming both a Divemaster and Captain. Over the years, she traveled, worked, and dove all over the world, but the pull of fossil hunting brought her back to Venice.

Today, Blair combines her love of diving, fossils, and life on the water in just about everything she does. As a captain, one of her favorite parts of the job is introducing new hunters to the hobby and helping people identify their finds. She enjoys sharing the excitement and knowledge that comes with years of fossil hunting.

While Blair loves finding a good meg tooth, she's especially drawn to the less common and more unusual fossils. Over the years, she's built an impressive collection of bucket-list finds, including a mammoth jaw complete with teeth, an over 8-foot mammoth tusk, a glyptodont jaw with teeth, and plenty of other unique pieces.

Captain Mike has been diving and running charters in Venice, Florida, for over 14 years. After spending countless days on the water, his passion for fossil diving is just as strong as ever. One of his favorite parts of the job is introducing new divers to the world of fossil hunting and teaching them about how to hunt.

Over the years, Mike has found an extensive collection of incredible fossils from the Venice area. His finds range from a 6-inch Golden Beach Megalodon tooth to a mammoth jaw complete with teeth, and even a saber- toothed cat tooth. Every fossil has a story, and Mike has certainly found his share of unique pieces along the way.

We started working with Mike several years ago and never looked back. Between charters, diving, and everything that comes with life on the water, we've spent a lot of time together-sometimes clocking nearly 80 hours in a single week on the boat!

After all those long days, we've gotten to know Mike as more than just a captain and fossil hunter. He's someone who genuinely loves what he does and enjoys sharing that passion with the people who step aboard his boat. Whether he's helping a first-time fossil diver or swapping stories with regulars, there's no denying that fossil diving is a huge part of who Captain Mike is.

To say Ryan is addicted to fossil hunting is an understatement.

While Ryan started at a young age sifting for teeth in Venice, Florida with his family, it wasn't until many years later that he turned his interest into a career. After retiring from the Army, Ryan decided to take a leap and follow his passion.

Since his first day diving for teeth, Ryan didn't take more than a few days 'surface interval' for years - splitting his time between North Carolina and Florida.

It's not only the fossils that Ryan loves, but the nature of the dives themselves.

Ryan also loves introducing people to the world of fossil hunting and sharing the experience with others. Over the past several years, some of his favorite days have been when his mom or a friend comes out on the boat with him and they can share in the hobby together.

The name Bill Eberlein is pretty much synonymous with River Diving.

Since very early in my diving career I'd heard of Bill and the absolutely gorgeous teeth he was known for finding.

I was fortunate enough to meet Bill a few years ago diving in North Carolina & since then he has turned into a true mentor and friend. Never in my life did I think d have the opportunity to meet and learn from the absolute legend himself.

The types of dives Bill does are beyond challenging and something that most people wouldn't even consider.

Between the strong currents, deep depths, and blackwater, the challenges are real! Imagine crawling around in the dark at the bottom of a river just feeling around for teeth while running into logs and hoping a shark or other critter doesn't bump into you!

Bill is known for the insane high quality of the teeth he finds - there is just nothing else that even comes close to the top-notch quality of them. From the gorgeous, shiny enamel to the razor-sharp serrations, the teeth in these rivers have been extremely well preserved, which to Bill makes the risk worth the reward!

He was recently featured Georgia Magazine and comes down to Venice annually for the Shark's Tooth Festival.

Reece Newman of Darkwater Diver is probably one of the most hardcore and versatile divers I know. If there's a dive he's determined to do, there's honestly not much that's going to stop him. Whether it's deep offshore dives on the Ledge or heavy-current, blackwater river dives, Reece thrives in the kind of conditions most people would avoid.

A true Outer Banks local, Reece comes from a long line of watermen who helped shape the fishing industry in Dare County, NC. He grew up hunting and fishing, and after getting scuba certified in college, he started working as a commercial diver doing bridge inspections for the state while fossil diving on the side. Before long, the lure of fossil hunting won out, and he made the transition to fossil diving full time.

I met Reece a few years ago while diving the Ledge, and ever since, he's been an incredible source of knowledge when it comes to both fossils and diving (and cats!). What stands out most is how genuine his passion is - you can see it in everything he does.

Al Coffey, the infamous Meg Hunter (net!) got his start diving along Florida's Treasure Coast, where he grew up dreaming of treasure. Al started metal detecting the beaches as a teenager and later worked on a few different salvage boats along side some of the early divers like Bob "Frog Foot" Weller and others.

Eventually, Al added fossil diving to his underwater hunting hobby. He's spent time hunting fossils in Venice and the rivers of South Carolina & Georgia, as well as diving offshore North Carolina. Each location brings something different to the table, and Al is a versatile diver that excels at all of them.

Outside of diving, Al is a successful businessman and family-man with a creative side that has become well known throughout the fossil community. He has designed shirts for many divers and fossil hunters over the years, creating designs that capture the love of fossil hunting.

Talk about a die-hard fossil hunter! Jess is a true 'Weekend Warrior' who makes the most of every chance she gets to be out on (or in) the water.

Jess started tooth diving about 7 years ago, and even though she lives in Alabama. Since then most weekends and holidays you can find her tooth diving in Florida or North Carolina, or fishing in Louisiana with her husband and daughter.

Jess is one of those 'Book it!' friends who is always in for the next adventure. Outside of her regular tooth diving, she has also taken trips to fossil hunt in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Florida, Alberta in British Columbia. If there's a trip to dive or fossil hunt, she'll be there!

If you've ever come to Venice & dove with Aristakat Charters, you probably know Katia Watterson. A born & bred Venice native, Katia has grown up on the water diving & hunting fossils. She Il even buddy up with you on a dive to help you get the hang of what you're looking for when you first start fossil diving!

We're thrilled to have Katia as part of our #bossbitch collection at The Collective, along with her very own jewelry line, Luxury Fossils.

Katia will also be offering wire wrapping services for us! So if you have a find of your own that you'd like to turn into a wearable treasure, bring it in & let Katia work her magic!

Alex is our go-to guy for identifying ice age mammal fossils. He was born and raised fossil hunting locally in SW Florida and later followed his passion for the ocean and science by earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Biology from USF. His interest and studies in Marine Science through University of South Florida, James Cook University in Australia, and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences led to his first journal publication on the impacts of recurrent culling of invasive lionfish on mesophotic reefs in Bermuda.

He now spends most of his time exploring both the Gulf and nearby lands for fossils, and when weather doesn't allow, he's putting time in researching and identifying finds.

We met Alex diving in Venice several years ago and have since spent countless hours fossil hunting and working together.

We've been honored to get to be a part of two of his most recent notable finds - a mammoth tusk & mammoth jaw with teeth intact - and can't wait to see his future finds!

Lauren Kirik

Lauren is a beach comber on the East Coast of Florida, spending days walking the beaches looking for natural treasures to use in her creations.

She has a knack for creating these stylish shadow boxes with perfect spatial layouts and great handwriting. The perfect addition to any beach themed home.

We met Lauren at a market in Jupiter and thought her work fit the vibe of The Collective perfectly, She even designed us some special pieces using shark teeth we collected diving here in Venice.

Captain Blair Morrow

Captain Blair works on Aquanutz Dive Charter here in Venice, Florida and pretty much eats, sleeps, and breaths fossils. When she's not on the charter, you can find her working on her shark tooth themed artwork for Meg Goddess Designs or diving for teeth in Venice, GA, SC, or NC.

As the daughter of a ship Captain growing up on the coast of Florida, Blair discovered her love of the water early in life, but when she did her first fossil dive in 2009, she was immediately hooked on shark teeth.

Blair found the thrill of being the first human to discover a piece of history unparalleled As soon as she graduated college, Blair moved to Venice, took a job on a boat, and began working towards becoming a Divemaster and Captain. She spent several years traveling, working and diving all over the world, but the pull of fossil hunting brought her back to Venice - The Shark Tooth Capital of the World'.

Hannah Moore

I met this fabulous human at a festival and immediately hit it off, heading to the beach at sunrise to shark tooth hunt before setting up for our festival.

Hannah is an incredibly talented artist who uses gold leafing which keeps each of her prints unique and makes them stand out.

Hannah was born and raised in Utah, but always knew her soul belonged by the ocean. She is now based in Merritt Island, Florida, but is a marine biologist and scuba dive instructor who lived and worked in Germany, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, and Miami. She loves art, and always travels with a sketch book, watercolors, and usually an underwater camera. She also recently tried fossil diving and is already hooked!

Kassie Santilli

Kassie is a Pacific Northwesterner who found her home along the shores of North Carolina. Inspired by the ocean and a love of creating, she handcrafts pieces that capture a little bit of the magic of salty air, sunshine, and days spent by the water.

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When she visited Venice, Kassie collected sand from our shores to incorporate into her creations.

Her hope is that each piece brings people a little closer to a place they love-whether it reminds them of adventures they've already had or inspires dreams of the ones still to come.

Kassie and I met at a market in South Carolina and immediately hit it off. She's one of those people who is just genuinely easy to be around-welcoming, adventurous, and always up for exploring... and is the best darn host in Carolina Beach!

Theresa Applegate

Do you ever meet someone and just know that you are going to do great things together? When Theresa showed up at the dock a few years ago in February with 59* water, let me layer her up in wetsuits, and not only didn't complain, but found a pure beauty of a mammoth tooth, I knew we were going to be fast friends and so did she.

Fast forward a few years and we have the Diver meets Jeweler Collection which is a collaboration between Meg Goddess Designs and metalsmith extraordinaire Theresa Applegate Jewelry.

Theresa Applegate is a metalsmith extraordinaire who got her Bachelors in Metals and Jewelry at The Savannah College of Art & Design, did her graduate studies in Art Education at the University of Louisville, and has been an educator and creator for over 15 years.

Samm Wehman

Samm is a freediver based in Gainesville, Florida. She is an animal lover and an artist, who combines her two biggest passions to create her own vibrant and whimsical style of art.

Samm has developed her own style of painting, and enjoys working with bright colored acrylics on a variety of surfaces included canvas, reclaimed wood, and repurposed materials to create a fun spin-off of the actual likeness of our furry (or scaly, or feathery) friends with a paintbrush

We met Samm at Deep End Weekend, an amazing freediving event in the Florida springs, and just immediately fell in love with her style and artwork.

The motto she lives by is; "Let the Beauty You Love Be What You Do"

Dina Lundberg

Dina is an absolute joy to work with and has quickly become a staple at Meg Goddess!

These days Dina is enjoying her roll as grandmother of 3 adorable little girls, but she is always ready to jump in and help no matter the task. She helps with our larger resin projects, baked megalodon shaped cookies for our opening & even makes an appearance at our local festivals when we need a helping hand!

Dina has many talents, but several years ago she took up resin and really ran with it Her work is top-notch. She combined her talent for resin with her sons interest in fossils and shark teeth which is how we met and now craft together every chance we get!

Leslie started Heart in the Wild to be able to both create works of art and focus on the environment.

Heart in the Wild is dedicated to ocean conservation and transforms found objects, repurposed materials, and ocean treasures into wearable art. Leslie does reef clean-up dives often, using the fishing line in her jewelry. Leslie also fossil dives, and recently took up lionfish hunting, to personally source the shark teeth and lionfish fins she uses in her jewelry

Leslie and I met through a mutual friend several years ago, Leslie is a genineuly kind and caring person that we have been lucky enough to dive together often, and even do markets together as well! She is an excellent addition to The Collective!

Wendi Pillars

As a curiositarian and lifeaholic, Wendi thrives on thinking creatively and communicating visually to get to the heart of any message.

She is an award-winning lifelong educator with experiences teaching, learning, and living across the globe, as well as a love for languages, writing, and our planet. She can always be found immersed in some sort of project or creative endeavor, ideally one that empowers others to create and think differently, or serves a community need. From a magicians assistant to Air Defense Artillery officer to firefighter, her incredibly diverse background ensures she has quite a story to tell

Wendi was my Beginning Teacher Mentor in North Carolina and her enthusiasm for creativity and learning was inspirational.

Katia Watterson

If you've ever come to Venice & dove with Aristakat Charters, you probably know Katia Watterson. A born & bred Venice native, Katia has grown up on the water diving & hunting fossils. She'll even buddy up with you on a dive to help you get the hang of what you're looking for when you first start fossil diving!

We're thrilled to have Katia as part of our #bossbitch collection at The Collective, along with her very own jewelry line, Luxury Fossils:

Katia will also be offering wire wrapping services for us! So if you have a find of your own that you'd like to turn into a wearable treasure, bring it in & let Katia work her magic!

Capt. Carrie Kreatsoulas

Captain Carrie is a Florida native and an avid fossil hunter, both sifting in the rivers and diving in Venice, FL. Many days she can be found running airboat tours on the Peace River or captaining a dive charter on the Gulf. As a business owner & mom of two, Carrie's time to hunt is limited but every time she gets a chance she's out there looking for teeth.

Carrie started making her own fossil bags to make sure she had a high quality product that could withstand the wear and tear of daily use & we absolutely love them!

We met Carrie through the charters we both run here in Venice and have had some incredibly fun days fossil hunting together!

Mallory Ghazi

As an artist, diver, and fossil-lover, Mallory is just a joy to work with!

Mallory lives in Fernandina Beach, walking the beaches looking for fossils and making stunning pottery with fossil shark tooth and shell designs molded from real finds.

In addition to creating beautiful works of art, Mallory teaches pottery classes out of her home studio,

Mallory and I met at the Right Whale Festival in Fernandina bonding quickly over our love of shark teeth and creating. Motivated by the idea of finding a meg, she got certified to dive and started coming to dive with us here in Venice.