The beach is beautiful with it’s gorgeous white sand, rolling waves, and horizon that lines the distance. We play at the beach during the day swimming 🏊, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, parasailing, and then of course, riding on a banana boat. We love to watch the sun ☀️ go down and walk on the beach at sunset.

What happens, though, when the sun goes down and it is dark? The beachcombers come out! The first night of vacation, I saw a couple of people with flashlights looking for things on the beach. I really didn’t think about what they were doing until tonight. I looked out on the balcony and saw all along the beach in front of all the hotels were beachcombers!

So what is a beachcomber? It is someone who makes their living finding items on the beach and selling those items. How difficult that must be! When I was watching them from my balcony, they were looking on the sand but they were also looking at the shallow end of the ocean. It is hard to imagine what they could find in the water unless they are collecting seaweed to sell! The waves are working on bringing items to the beachcombers!!

So how did beachcombers come into existence? In historical time, they were mostly unemployed sailors or sailors who have jumped ship 🚢. In modern times, they are people looking for interesting items that they would sell to collectors. The items would be generally decorative in nature.

If you plan to be a beachcomber, check out the laws of the beach about what you can take and practice eco-conservation where you are protecting the environment.

So next time you are on the beach and you see a sparkle in the sand, bend down and pick it up. You might be surprised what you find!! You have become a beachcomber!! 🏖