This was the moment an amateur fossil hunter from New Zealand discovered dozens of ancient shark teeth in a clay deposit on the South Island.

Footage from September 28 shows the discovery and the means the fossil hunter used to extract the fangs.

The filmer told Newsflare: "I headed off to a lag layer deposit I had found previously to collect some of the clay from the cliff to see if there are some fossil shark teeth hiding inside.

"Turns out there were quite a few!

"I use sodium hexametaphosphate to break down the clay into fine silt that I can sift to collect the larger pieces that contain fossils including some Dalatias shark teeth and fossilise shark vertebrae.

"There was 9 kilograms of clay in the bucket. The clay took about a week to dissolve.

"I was hoping for 10 or 20 teeth but turns out there were 50 plus hiding in there."

I head of to a lag layer deposit I had found previously to collect some of the clay from the cliff to see if there are some fossil shark teeth hiding inside. Turns out there were quite a few! I use sodium hexametaphosphate to break down the clay into a fine silt that I can sift to collect the larger pieces that contain fossils including some Dalatias shark teeth and fossilise shark vertebrae.

There was 9kg of clay in the bucket. The clay took about a week to dissolve.

I was hoping for 10 or 20 teeth but turns out there were 50+ hiding in there.