Beachcombing articles
Short, practical guides written by BeachNut on how to read a beach, when to walk it, and what to do with what you pick up. Free to read, no account needed.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Shark Teeth: Where to Look and What to Notice
Shark teeth hide in shell gravel, not open sand. Learn the search image and where the gravel collects.
- 🫙 Sea glass
Sea Glass: How It Forms and How to Spot It
Sea glass is broken glass finished by decades of surf and sand. Here is how to tell it apart from fresh glass.
- 🫘 Sea beans
Sea Beans: Ocean Drifters on Florida Beaches
Sea beans are tropical seeds that float across open ocean and land on Florida sand. Wind decides when.
- Beachcombing
Beachcombing Basics: How to Read a Beach
Before you pick anything up, read the beach. Wrack lines, slope and shell bars tell you where material is landing today.
- Beachcombing
Shelling Without Wrecking the Beach: Responsible Collecting Basics
Take less than you can, leave everything alive, and check the rules for the exact beach you are standing on.
- Beachcombing
Best Times to Beachcomb: Tides, Wind, and Weather
Timing does more for a beach walk than distance does. Here is what actually moves material onto the sand.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Shark Tooth Sifters: Choosing and Using One
Compare handheld screens, long-handled scoops, and floating sifters, then learn a simple approach to sorting shell gravel without chasing rough surf.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
How to Identify Shark Teeth: A Florida Beginner’s Guide
Learn which features help identify a Florida shark tooth, what color can and cannot tell you, and how to photograph a find for a closer look.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Shark Tooth Hunting Around Venice, Florida
Plan a realistic shark-tooth outing around Venice, Caspersen, Brohard, and Manasota Key, with clear location distinctions and sensible expectations.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Megalodon Teeth in Florida: Where to Look and What to Expect
Compare Florida river, beach, and offshore fossil hunting, learn why size alone cannot identify a megalodon tooth, and check collecting rules before you go.
- 🫘 Sea beans
Sea-Bean Identification: Five Types to Compare
Compare sea hearts, hamburger beans, Mary's beans, nickernuts and sea purses using shape, surface details and the seed scar.
- 🐚 Shells
What to Bring Shelling: A Practical Packing Checklist
Pack for a comfortable beachcombing walk with water, sun protection, a way to record finds and containers suited to what you collect.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Peace River Fossil Hunting: Rules, Water Levels and a First-Trip Checklist
Plan a Peace River fossil outing with the right collecting permissions, current river information, and realistic expectations about what you may find.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Florida Shark-Tooth Beaches: Gulf and Atlantic Options
Compare documented shark-tooth destinations around Venice, Ponte Vedra and Amelia Island, without treating any beach as a guaranteed winner.
- 🫙 Sea glass
Sea Glass Hunting in Florida: How to Plan a Beach Visit
Find a documented Florida sea-glass starting point, evaluate beach recommendations, and plan a careful search without relying on unsupported hotspot rankings.
- 🐚 Shells
Sand Dollars: Living Animals or Empty Tests?
Learn what to look for before collecting a sand dollar, how an empty test differs from a living animal, and why beach-specific rules matter.
- 🐚 Shells
Planning a Southwest Florida Shelling Trip
Choose between Sanibel and Captiva, Marco Island, or the Venice area, then plan beach access, walking time and a backup day.
- 🐚 Shells
Lightning Whelk vs. Knobbed Whelk: How to Tell Them Apart
Start with the shell opening, then compare the shoulder and overall shape. Learn the limits of identifying lightning and knobbed whelks.
- 🐚 Shells
Conch vs. Whelk: What's the Difference?
Compare Florida fighting conchs with lightning and knobbed whelks, understand juvenile shells, and avoid common-name confusion.
- 🐚 Shells
How to Clean Seashells Gently
Start with water and a soft brush, recognize when to stop, and learn why bleach, acids and polishing are not interchangeable cleaning steps.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
How to Clean and Store Fossil Shark Teeth
Remove loose dirt carefully, protect fragile roots and serrations, and know when an encrusted fossil needs advice from a preparator.
- 🫙 Sea glass
Sea Glass Colors: Rarity, History and What Color Can Tell You
Explore sea-glass color rarity, the limits of color-based dating, and a simple way to record what turns up on your own beach.
- 🦴 Fossils
Florida Beach Fossils Beyond Shark Teeth: What to Notice
Learn what to notice in possible bone and shell fossils on Florida beaches, how to document a find, and which collecting rules to check.
- 🐚 Shells
Junonia, Alphabet Cone and Scotch Bonnet: Three Florida Shells to Know
Compare junonia, alphabet cone and scotch bonnet shells using shape, opening and markings, with museum references and responsible handling advice.
- Beachcombing
How to Photograph Beach Finds for Identification
Take clearer identification photos of shells, shark teeth and sea beans with useful angles, visible scale, even light and notes about the find.
- 🐚 Shells
Why Are Some Seashells Black?
Black seashells can reflect burial staining or a natural outer covering. Learn what dark color can—and cannot—tell you about a beach find.
- 🐚 Shells
Winter Shelling in Florida: Planning Around Fronts and Conditions
Plan a Florida winter shelling visit with flexible dates, current beach conditions, suitable clothing and realistic expectations after cold fronts.
- 🐚 Shells
Whelk Egg Cases: The “Mermaid’s Necklace” Explained
Learn why whelk egg capsules form a string of discs, how they differ from a mermaid's purse, and why appearance alone is not a keep-or-return test.
- Beachcombing
Tide Pool and Wading Safety for Families
Plan a safer family beach visit with active supervision, local water warnings, rip-current awareness, protective footwear and a lightning exit plan.
- 🐚 Shells
How to Display and Care for Your Shell Collection
Choose shell-friendly storage, protect fragile edges, keep collection records and recognize when white deposits need expert attention rather than a home treatment.
- 🐚 Shells
Florida's Shelling Festivals and Club Events
Plan around Florida's 2027 shell shows with organizer-posted dates for Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Sanibel and Marco Island, plus links to confirm details.
- 🐚 Shells
Florida Shell Collecting Laws: What to Check Before You Take a Shell
Check Florida shell collecting rules, Lee and Manatee county restrictions, protected species, and the requirements of the beach or park you visit.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Bull, Lemon, Tiger and Mako Shark Teeth: Features to Compare
Compare bull, lemon, tiger and mako tooth features, understand fossil name differences, and recognize when a beach find needs a cautious identification.
- 🐚 Shells
Seashell Craft Ideas: Four Projects for Shells You Already Have
Make a shell collage, photo frame, letter plaque or reusable pattern board with shells you already own, plus practical tips for planning each project.
- 🐚 Shells
Shelling in Florida in January: Plan for Regional Weather
Compare January climate normals for Pensacola, Jacksonville and Fort Myers, then plan a Florida shelling trip around the weather at your actual beach.
- 🐚 Shells
What Is a Mermaid's Purse? Shark and Skate Egg Cases
Learn what a mermaid's purse is, compare shark and skate egg-case features, and document a Florida beach find without assuming it is empty.
- 🐚 Shells
Beachcombing with Kids: A Simple Family Outing
Plan a short family beach walk with observation games, a simple kit and gentle collecting habits, plus practical sun, heat and supervision reminders.
- 🐚 Shells
Beach Renourishment and Shelling: What a Sand Project Can Tell You
Understand how beach renourishment moves sand, why material sources matter for shells, and what to check before visiting a beach near construction.
- ⚪ Sand dollars
Sand Dollars: Where to Find Them in Florida
Plan a Florida sand-dollar search with two documented Gulf Coast starting points, shore-based search tips, and collecting rules to check before you go.
- 🫙 Sea glass
Real vs. Fake Sea Glass: How to Tell the Difference
Assess sea-glass authenticity through its history, seller disclosures and surface clues without treating frosting, color or a photograph as proof.
- 🐚 Shells
Shelling the Florida Keys: A Trip-Planning Guide
Plan Florida Keys beachcombing stops from Marathon to Key West, check parking and park access, and understand why collecting permission varies by location.
- 🦈 Shark teeth
Why Are Shark Teeth Black?
Learn how burial minerals affect fossil shark-tooth color, why some fossils remain pale, and why a dark tooth cannot tell you its age by color alone.
- 🐚 Shells
Horse Conch vs. Lightning Whelk: How to Tell Them Apart
Compare horse conch and lightning whelk shells using the opening, spire, sculpture and color, and learn why one feature alone can mislead you.
Put it to work
BeachNut scores Florida beaches every day on tide, wind and swell, and identifies what you find from a photo.