Hello, Adventurers! Welcome back to the Coastal Expeditions blog! If this is your first time visiting our blog, we’re happy to have you here. We are all about nature, adventure, and making the most out of the beautiful outdoors of South Carolina. If you enjoy all things hiking, paddling, kayaking, and spending time outdoors, you’ve come to the right place! Here on the blog, we dive deep into different habitats, excursions, conservation efforts, and nature programs. Our site is filled with interactive maps, destination guides, and educational resources. Speaking of educational resources, The Outdoor School consists of afterschool programs, weekly camps, school field trips, and more! We offer hands-on workshops taught by highly-trained guides on wilderness skills, birding, identifying native plants, sustainability, kayaking, and camping. Basically, anything you want to learn about, we teach! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take a look around our site to learn more about our offerings. Our last article explored the habits of fish during the winter months and how to successfully go on a winter fishing trip. Today, we’ll be talking about one of the many treasures you might find on an excursion to a beautiful beach or island: sea glass!

What is sea glass?

To put it simply, sea glass is naturally weathered pieces of glass. It is unique in the fact that it doesn’t initially come from the sea, but it is not entirely man-made. Have you ever wondered what happens to discarded items on the beach? Or what happens to a bottle that is thrown off of a yacht or cruise ship? We have seen the negative implications of pollution, such as plastics and other items getting into the water and interfering with ocean life. But what happens to glass? When glass bottles or other discarded items are tossed on the shore, they don’t simply disappear or disintegrate. They float away and get tossed back and forth with the ocean waves, moving with the tides. And this is just the start of their journey!

Over time, glass is broken down and weathered by water, salt, sand, and other elements. The once brutally sharp edges of broken glass are smoothed out and polished, leaving behind what may appear to be a beautiful rock or gem of some sort. This does not happen overnight. In fact, it can take decades! Experts say that sea glass can be formed over a period of 20 to 40 years, or even 100 to 200 years. That’s a long journey for a piece of glass!

Sometimes, the pieces of glass have a frosted appearance due to the weathering that has taken place on the surface of the glass. Because glass bottles and other products come in a variety of colors, the same is true for sea glass. The sparkling, sometimes iridescent shards are commonly blue, green, brown, or clear, because those are the colors of glass bottles and containers that are most used today. There are uncommon, or rare colors, too. Sea glass collectors consider seafoam green, orange, and lavender sea glass to be among the rarer colors. Orange, red, and yellow sea glass are considered some of the rarest. 

What makes some of these colors rare is the glass containers that they originally came from, most of which are not in production anymore. For example, vintage medicine and ink bottles and antique Coca-Cola and other soda bottles. It is also likely that some of these rarer colors come from old vases and items used to display objects, as well as art glass. Jade-colored glass is often attributed to Depression-era tableware, and orange glass is said to be from turn signals on old cars.

These stunning fragments of glass come in all different shapes and sizes and are sometimes referred to as “mermaid’s tears”. Some people often interchange the terms “sea glass” and “beach glass”, but seasoned sea glass collectors will tell you that there is a difference, albeit a small one. Although both sea glass and beach glass originate the same way and go through the same weathering process, beach glass comes from freshwater sources, rather than saltwater. Beach glass is typically shinier and does not have the same frosted appearance as sea glass. 

Where can sea glass be found?

Sea glass is harder to find these days, due to a few different factors. First, more people are recycling glass, which is a great thing! People are also more dedicated to keeping our beaches and oceans clean these days. Unfortunately, glass packaging is also becoming less common, as companies make the switch to plastic or aluminum. Additionally, sea glass collecting has become increasingly popular. Sea glass is often used in artwork and jewelry. Some people simply enjoy collecting it and displaying it in their homes. Because of this, it is likely that a beachcomber scoops up the sea glass before you have a chance to. Don’t be discouraged, though: Finding sea glass is still a possibility!

Many treasures, including sea glass, can be found in areas of North and South Carolina. All you need to do is find a beach, island, or cove– and go treasure hunting at the right time! Many sea glass collectors say that an hour before or after low tide is the best time to look. Another good time to look for sea glass is after a storm, when more shells and other treasures have gotten moved around and washed up on the shore. Storms are also likely to stir up glass and other items that have long been buried. You are more likely to find sea glass on a beach that is not “picture perfect”. You’ll want to search for areas with an abundance of rocks. On any beach, look out for large patches of shells, known as shell beds, and patches of pebbles, where sea glass could be hidden. You should stop and carefully go through the layers of pebbles. The areas closest to the tide can give you a better chance of finding the treasure you’re looking for. 

It may also be helpful to research areas that used to be used as coastal dumps or that were located near popular trading routes or ports. Many beaches that used to be near garbage dumps or in areas that were otherwise considered “dirty” are now home to some of the most beautiful pieces of sea glass. For example, Fort Bragg, California was home to three large garbage dump sites in the 1900s. People hoped their discarded trash would drift away into the sea and disappear for good. That was not the case. This particular area, now known as Glass Beach, welcomes travelers from all over the world who come in search of sea glass. Something interesting about the abundance of sea glass there is that, over time, some of the glass and pottery shards dissolve and release minerals that can be helpful to marine life, contributing to the food chain. Tiny air pockets within the glass pieces can also provide homes for smaller organisms, such as shrimp, worms, and insects. Glass Beach is still among the world’s most famous destinations for sea glass hunting, although it has become a bit more difficult to find. Sea glass truly gives a whole new meaning to “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”!  

Now when you find a piece of sea glass, your mind can wander, thinking about the endless possibilities of its origin. You may be interested in doing some research on the particular color of glass that you found. There are plenty of resources out there that can give you the information you need! Was your sea glass a product of a shipwreck? How old is it? What type of product did the glass come from? You just might be holding onto a 200-year-old treasure! Each piece of sea glass has its own story, which makes it all the more fascinating. 

Hunting for sea glass and other treasures is a great activity for beach-goers, beachcombers, and families alike! At Coastal Expeditions, we offer tours and excursions to a variety of areas and barrier islands in the Lowcountry. While visiting places like Folly Beach and Morris Island, as well as our other destinations, you are likely to find gorgeous shells, rocks, fossils, shark teeth, and maybe even sea glass! We strongly encourage you to check out what we have to offer. Our tours are led by knowledgeable, approachable naturalists and sea captains who are ready to answer any questions you may have and teach you about the beauty of the Lowcountry. Until next time, readers! We hope you’ll visit again soon. Get out there and explore! Adventure awaits!