Sea glass is a very special treasure that lots of people love to collect. The practice of running your fingers through pebbles and sand to sort out tiny stand-alone fragments is incredibly therapeutic. It is also a great activity to occupy the kids!
There are a lot of places on the island to find regurgitated sea treasures, and most of these locations are held pretty close to the chest for locals, but these are four locations that are widely known that I’m sure anyone local to the area would invite you to visit and enjoy.
Inverness Beach
Inverness, NS
Along with being the perfect family beach with warm, shallow waters and beautiful, soft sand, Inverness beach is often a great place to find some beautifully weathered glass. The fine grain of sand on this beach leaves a very smooth piece of glass that light hits wonderfully.
This is one of the only beaches on the island that is completely accessible with Mobi mats & Mobi-chairs as well as public washrooms and change rooms.
The best time of day for spotting glass on this side of the island is the late afternoon. The lower the sun is, the more the glass will stick out from the pebbles around it!
Margaree Harbour Beach
Margaree, NS
Grassy sand dunes and stunning cliffs surround this magnificent beach. The sand here is very coarse which makes for a patterned weathering of the glass. This is a favourite spot for locals to collect some nice pieces.
Much the same as Inverness beach, the best time for spotting glass is late afternoon. The lowest tide is best as the pebbles here often sone make it very far in shore.
Lochman’s Beach
Sydney Mines, NS
Surrounded by military barracks and the remnants of industry, Lochman’s beach stretches from Chapel Point to Swivel Point at the mouth of the Atlantic. Due to a raised shelf, glass turns sometimes for years before it is spit up on Lochmans or Florence beach.
Take your time here when picking because some of those remnants of industry may wash up as well so be careful not to snag your finger!
Tablehead Beach
Glace Bay, NS
Located near the first industrial coal mine in the area, Tablehead beach is a remarkable place to visit. Surrounded by remarkable cliffs, this black sand (coal) beach is littered with polished metal and glass treasures. The mix of brown sand and coal leaves a beautiful frosting on the glass, and the polished steel and aluminium fragments are also a really unique find!
Written by: Jonathan Kanary