Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Collecting sea glass is such a fun hobby. Many an eager beachcomber has headed to the seashore in hopes of discovering the ideal piece of sea glass (also called beach glass). Finding that perfectly frosted, wave tumbled jewel can make the very best day at the beach even better!

Often times people will ask, “Where can I find sea glass on _(fill in the blank)_?” My answer goes something like this:

“That’s a great question. In my experience, the best beaches for finding sea glass are near the more populated locales, especially around areas with bars. Party scene locations tend to produce more glass in the surrounding water. Check for low tides, too. You will most likely find more sea glass when the tide is out and the beach is lengthened. Have a wonderful time! Let us know what you find! ~Aloha”

Surfside Beach Treasures

A colorful assortment of surf tumbled sea glass is generally easier to find near beaches where the regulars hang out (as opposed to tourist packed strands). Why? I’m sorry to say, that’s where people often leave their empty bottles on the sand or toss them into the water. Let’s face it,  glass doesn’t naturally come from the sea, and you would be hard pressed to find a beach where glass containers aren’t prohibited.

We recently spent some time on the Texas Gulf Coast, southwest of Galveston. I have to admit that I have rarely seen such a selection of glass on the beach! Some of it was beautifully tumbled and worth bringing home, but so much of the glass looked newly broken by both tides and tires (cars are allowed on many of the Texas beaches which line the Gulf of Mexico). The adults in the group carefully picked up some of the sharper shards of glass and carried them to the nearby, oh-so-conveniently placed municipal trash cans (seriously, you couldn’t miss ’em). But we had to warn the children not to pick up any beach glass because they weren’t old enough to discriminate between the sharper edged pieces and the more aged, smoothly polished beach treasures.

Keep your shoes on! (©Jody Diehl)

There may have been a day, long ago, when beachgoers didn’t “know any different.” But in today’s world, we really do know better.  We at Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches are all for collecting sea glass!  It’s one of our favorite things to do at the shore. We do not, however, want to contribute to the sea glass treasure troves of future generations.  It’s true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but with sea glass, it takes a while to get from point A to point B, and in the meantime, it can pose a serious hazard to those of us who want to be barefoot on the beach with our little ones.

Wishing you many happy sea glass hunting days at the beach!

Do you have a favorite sea glass collecting beach? We’d love to hear about it!

Related link: North American Sea Glass Association