Wikipedia defines beachcombing as “...an activity that consists of an individual ‘combing’
(or searching) the beach and the intertidal zone, looking for things of value,
interest or utility.” Rande and I have combed the intertidal from the black
beaches of Costa Rica to the green beaches of Hawaii looking for "things of
interest." Now, with more free time and many miles of beaches nearby, we're working
on proficiency. Our favorite beach is an uninhabited stretch of white
sand south of Punta Arena on the Sea of Cortez. It’s great for seashells and glass.
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Rande beachcombing near Punta Arena |
Rande collects sea
glass, but she’s also attracted to shells,
rocks, wood and bones. Beachcombing to her is walking meditation; listening to the waves and the sound of her footsteps in
the sand is a way to focus on the present (known as mindfulness). She may be onto something. Dr. Deacon Ritterbush (aka Dr. Beachcomb) describes
beachcombing as “…an inexpensive way to achieve better mental, emotional and
physical health; and a spiritual means to weather life’s challenges.”
Below are things of
interest that Rande collected. The bones belong to sea turtles, probably from the olive ridley, a small sea turtle that nests on local beaches. The flat,
rectangular ones are pleural bones from the carapace and the short, stocky ones are humerus from the front flippers (Wyneken 2001). The twisted wood with a reddish hue looks and feels like the roots of mesquite trees that grow in the arroyos.
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Things of interest from beachcombing in Baja |
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Dorado |
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Yellow-bellied sea snake |
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Finescale triggerfish |
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Blue (Cortez) spiny lobster |
I haven't thought much
about the practice of beachcombing; it comes naturally with an interest in all things ocean. City-dwellers might need some
pointers and there are websites that teach one how to beachcomb (link).
Glynda Easterbrook of The Open University says that “everything on a beach
tells a story…” and teaches a class to help people understand those stories (link).
And, if you want to take beachcombing to the next level, there’s an
International Beachcombing Conference that “…offers consummate and novice
beachcombers alike the opportunity to come together to learn more about the
beachcomb experience and the science that makes beachcombing possible” (link).
A note for my NPS colleagues: In 2009, Travel + Leisure magazine identified the 10 Best U.S. Shelling Beaches, three of which were
National Seashores in the National Park System – Cumberland Island (CUIS), Gulf
Islands (GUIS) and Point Reyes (PORE).
CUIS allows beachcombing: “Visitors are allowed to collect sharks teeth and
unoccupied sea shells…” GUIS mentions beachcombing among “Things to Do” and in a FAQ:
“Sea shells can be picked up if there are no living creatures in them.” PORE does not allow beachcombing: “All objects (plants and animals (or parts of
them such as flowers, seashells, or antlers), historic artifacts, minerals,
etc.) within the National Seashore are protected and may not be collected.” Is this a topic for OCRB?
Wyneken, J. 2001. The anatomy of sea turtles. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 172p.
Wyneken, J. 2001. The anatomy of sea turtles. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-470, 172p.
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