Treasures of the Sea

Hunting for sea treasures takes time, a bit of luck, and a keen eye—but knowing where and when to look makes all the difference. Here are a few insider tips to help you uncover the good stuff.

By Sue Paul, beach treasure hunter extraordinaire

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to walk away from the beach with incredible finds, while all you discover are tiny, broken shells? You’re not alone. Every day, we see visitors strolling the shoreline, eyes locked on the sand, hoping to spot that perfect keepsake to remember their beach vacation.

We all do it. You arrive on day one full of excitement, eager to comb the beach for treasures. Most people head home with a handful of pretty shells—but never quite find (or even know to look for) the real gems. I’m talking about sea glass and shark’s teeth. Believe it or not, those treasures are right here on our beaches—you just need to know how to spot them.

That’s why we’re sharing an insider’s guide to finding the best sea treasures at Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.

What treasures can you find?

Like most beaches, you’ll find beautiful seashells scattered along the shoreline if you spend a little time looking. But our beaches offer even more: sea glass, shark’s teeth, sand dollars, and starfish. Sea glass and shark’s teeth can be found almost daily, while sand dollars and starfish are much more elusive. We usually only see them a few times a year—but we’re always looking.

When is the best time to search?

Timing is everything. The absolute best time to hunt for sea treasures is during the first low tide after a big storm. The ocean churns up all the good stuff and deposits it back onto the beach. The second-best time is the first low tide after a full moon, followed by any low tide. High tide is the least productive, as the beach is narrower and much of the treasure remains underwater.

Treasure-hunting tips

  • Be careful—you can get a stiff neck staring at the sand nonstop. Remember to look up and enjoy the view.
  • Expect to step on a few sharp shells, so your feet may not be thrilled.
  • Don’t forget sunscreen—especially on the back of your neck.
  • Prepare for a little envy when friends see your collection.

Best of all, you’ll take home meaningful sea treasures you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Happy hunting!

Categories: 
Island Wide

Seaglass

For those of you who might not know, Sea glass is pieces of glass from broken bottles that have rolled/tumbled around in the ocean for years and years and now wash up on shore as beautiful pieces of frosted glass. The edges are soft, and smooth. They come in all different colors with brown being the most common. We have found beautiful pieces of green, turquoise, clear, and blue. Over the past few years we’ve collected hundreds of pieces of Sea glass and love looking for them. Our favorite stretch of beach to look is in Carolina Beach, the north end, from the 1000 block north toward the pier, but don’t tell anybody!

Shark Teeth

Sharks have up to 15 rows of teeth and are constantly losing them.  Because they are continually replaced, they produce thousands of teeth in a lifetime. And because they are made of a hard material, they last a long. Long time. As they are usually small, and always black, people mistake them for a broken piece of seashell. But if you look closely you can see the serrated edge. That’s how you know. We’ve collected dozens of them (my cousin has tons – he’s a sharks’ teeth savant!). He mostly finds them on the beach by Ocean Dunes in Kure Beach and in the area just south of the Carolina Beach boardwalk.

Starfish and Sand Dollars

Now these two treasures are harder to find, I’ve only seen them once or twice a year and typically around the Carolina Beach North End pier area. Again, low tide is the best time to find them. Keep in mind that starfish and sand dollars are living creatures so look and admire carefully but don’t bring them home!

Seashells

What can we say about seashells, they’re everywhere on the beach! Again, low tide after a storm is the best time for finding the largest shells. We’ve also had good luck on the beach just south of the Fort Fisher State Recreation area. Everybody has their favorites, I like the colorful ones the best.