Beachcombing Treasures From The Sea

Everything that the sea casts up onto the shore has a story to tell. Some objects give us glimpses into the lives of marine creatures, others speak of long distance voyages and a life on the ocean waves, or tell us about our own lives and careless habits.

 Once you learn to read these stories, beachcombing can become an addiction.

- Julie Hatcher and Steve Trewhella

The definition of beach combing is to search for and collect objects such as seashells and driftwood along the seashore. For some of us it is a hobby or even a passion. For others it is an occasional pastime – pausing to take a closer look at something that catches your eye as you wander along the shoreline. Whether you are a seasoned beachcomber or an occasional beach stroller, the chances are that at some point you have come across something strange and wondered what it is and where it came from. 

As beachcombers and authors of The Essential Guide to Beach combing and the Strand line, our favourite finds are those that have made the long journey across the ocean to be washed up on Cornish shorelines. Winter storms can be very productive, when strong winds bring us unexpected treasures. Each year seems to yield a different offering from Neptune. Last Winter was the year of the exotic sea bean when unusually high numbers of these tropical drift seeds arrived from the Americas. Some are designed to float in the sea for up to 20 years finally to wash up on a distant shore still able to germinate and grow. They are shiny, tactile objects to be handled and admired, many with age-old myths about their magical abilities.