NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WPRI) — For the second time in just a few months, a fossilized great white shark tooth has been discovered at Narragansett Town Beach.

Roughly three weeks ago, Jon Dodd, the executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute (ASI), received a call from a friend who had found a large fossilized tooth during a morning stroll on the beach.

“From a distance, I thought it was a rock, but when I got closer I realized it was pretty special,” said Carline Shields, who lives in South Kingstown. “We’ve known Jon for many years, so he was the logical person to reach out to."

"To say I was surprised would be an understatement," Dodd said after reviewing a photo of the tooth.

Dr. Josh Moyer, a collaborator with the ASI, later confirmed Shields’ find to be a fossilized great white shark tooth that had once belonged to a shark estimated to be 18 to 20 feet long.

But what's even more surprising is the fact that this has happened twice.

This past summer, six-year-old Oliver Martinez and his younger brother, Sebastian, were collecting seashells at the same beach when they stumbled upon a rare find—a pristine fossilized tooth.

Moyer determined the Martinez brothers' tooth, measuring 1.5 inches, could be anywhere from 10,000 to millions of years old. Based on its size, the shark it belonged to was estimated to be about 15 feet long.

Experts had described the discovery as a "one-in-a-million" find — until now.

“We’ve never been asked to assess a tooth that size from Rhode Island waters, never mind two in a matter of months,” Dodd added. “From the same small beach in Rhode Island only adds to the intrigue.”

The ASI is encouraging anyone who has made a similar discovery to reach out and share their story.