Beachcombing

Today, I led my first walk on the topic of beachcombing at Holgate. I had known of the hobby vaguely, but I knew nothing of its past before this internship. Originating in the south Pacific, the process of hunting through the soft sand for shells was first done by sailors who were unemployed. They would often times search for flotsam and jetsam rather than simply shells, which is the wreckage of a ship and the belongings of a ship thrown overboard, respectively. The shells and other items found would be used for trading among Native people. Today, beachcombing is considered simply looking for what the sea may hold rather than parts or items from a boat. Those who are truly dedicated will monitor tide charts and other factors of an area in order to time when is best to go out and search. I led a group of 8 people along the beach, identifying as many shells as I had learned, spouting out fun facts to keep them engaged. There were scallops, clams, mussels, horseshoe crabs, and moon snails. Each and every shell has once been or housed a living creature, and they are more part of the ecosystem than many of us realize. I hope to have more pictures to show as the summer continues, since I will be leading this walk every Sunday. Below is a photo of what was a crab and a knobbed whelk shell I found a few days prior on a different beach.