Best of Beachcombing: My Favorite Shells, Sea Glass, and Beach Pottery Finds in 2024

A hand holding 6 sea shells, a piece of sea glass, and a sand dollar.

A photo journal of my favorite beach finds in 2024.

A light blue icon of an anchor.

Yesterday I shared the strangest things I found while beachcombing in 2024, and today I thought it would be fun to share my favorite beachcombing finds of 2024. This includes my favorite shells, sea glass, driftwood, and beach pottery that I found this year.

I walk on the beach year-round, mostly in late spring, summer, and early fall, but also on some winter days that aren’t too cold. Something that entertains me on my walks is beachcombing, which means scanning the beach for interesting or special items. You never know what you’re going to find, which makes every time different and full of possibilities!

When beachcombing, I don’t bring home everything cool that I come across; I frequently take pictures of items I find but leave them as I found them on the beach. I try to be conscious of maintaining the beach ecosystem, and only keep something if it feels really special. I can still enjoy the thrill of the hunt without having to remove every item from the beach. I can enjoy beach finds without needing to keep them all, and can remember them with a photograph.

Here are my favorite beachcombing finds of the year.


A hand holding 6 sea shells, a piece of sea glass, and a sand dollar.

Some shells, a piece of sea glass, and a sand dollar that I found on a beach walk in June. This sand dollar was the only one I found in 2024. I ended up leaving most of these items on the beach after taking this photo, but I loved how many shells had orange and peachy hues.


A variety of interesting pieces of sea glass and driftwood on a white background.

These are my favorite pieces of sea glass that I found at various beaches in the Northeast this year, as well as some cool pieces of driftwood. Some of this sea glass I like because of the unique bottle pieces, and some because of the colors.


A variety of interesting and colorful shells from Florida on a white background.

Some interesting and cool shells I found while shelling on our annual trip to Florida. I love how the shells in Florida are so colorful and different compared to the shells I find in New England and on other beaches along the East Coast.


Related: 21 Expert Tips for Shelling in Florida


A knobbed whelk shell, a channeled whelk shell, and moon snail shells on the beach.

I found this grouping of shells, including a channeled whelk shell, moon snail shells, and a knobbed whelk shell, on the beach after a storm. Even though this was one of my favorite finds of the year, I didn’t take any of them with me, choosing to leave them as-is on the beach. All of these shells could potentially make a home for a hermit crab, and since I already have a couple of these kinds of shells, I don’t feel the need to take more, unless I were to find an absolutely perfect shell that was empty.


A variety of interesting pieces of beach pottery on a white background.

These are my favorite pieces of beach pottery that I found this year, especially the blue and white piece in the lower right corner. I’ve gotten more selective in my beach pottery collecting because many of the pieces I’ve been finding are too large and don’t feel display-worthy.


Related: 61 Fun Holidays for Beach, Ocean, and Coastal Lovers All Year Long


I like beachcombing because it gives me the motivation to get frequent outdoor exercise and gives me something to do while I walk. I also get to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the beach, which brings me so much joy. I’m a coastal lover through and through.

While I didn’t find anything at the beach in 2024 that I feel is an epic beachcombing find, I still enjoyed the thrill of the search and especially my time spent along the shore. One of the reasons I chose to live within walking distance to the beach was the chance to enjoy it often. I’m looking forward to seeing what I find in the coming year!

A light blue icon of an anchor.

Pin this graphic on Pinterest, or bookmark this page, so you can continue to refer back to the photographs in this photo journal. And don’t forget to follow Stars & Anchor on Pinterest and on Instagram for more coastal lifestyle and beach inspiration.

A graphic showing an image of a hand holding 6 sea shells, a piece of sea glass, and a sand dollar. Text over the image says, Photo Journal: The Best of Beachcombing – my favorite shells, sea glass, and beach pottery finds of the year.

Photo Journal: The Best of Beachcombing


Which is your favorite photo from this beachcombing photo journal? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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