13-Year-Old Finds 32-Million-Year-Old Sea Turtle Fossil On Alabama River, Stunning Scientists

December 2, 2025

A simple family fishing trip on the Alabama River turned into a once-in-a-million discovery for the Coleman family.

What started as a normal day on the water quickly became an unforgettable moment when 13-year-old Talah spotted something unusual on the riverbank.

What they originally thought was just a muddy rock turned out to be the fossilized shell of a leatherback sea turtle… and not just any turtle, but a 32-million-year-old species that had never been identified before.