A collection of the most interesting objects I came across on the beach this year. I live close enough to walk to the beach, so I spend a lot of time wandering the shoreline and beachcombing for shells, sea glass, driftwood, and other interesting finds. Along the way I always end up spotting odd and unexpected objects mixed in with the sand and seaweed. Some of them are funny, some feel a little strange, and some are just plain puzzling, but they all make me pause and look twice. I started photographing these unusual beach finds last year (click here to see last year’s post) as a way to document them and remind myself of the stories they might carry. It always makes me wonder where each item came from. Was it left behind after a day at the beach, carried in by the waves from somewhere far away, or pulled out to sea during a storm and returned again? I will probably never know, but the mystery is part of why I love noticing and capturing them. Here are some interesting found objects from my walks on the beach over the past year. My Strangest Beachcombing Finds of 2025 I’ve never found a propeller on the beach before, so this one definitely made the my of strangest things I came across while beachcombing this year. Maybe it came from a small watercraft, although I’d hope they usually use metal instead of plastic. This was probably my weirdest find of the year, a dinosaur mask washed in with the tide. I can’t imagine the story behind how it ended up in the ocean in the first place. This was a new one for me, a lightbulb on the beach. I can’t help wondering about its story and how it ended up here, whether from careless dumping or from storm damage somewhere along the coast. I’m surprised the bulb wasn’t broken even though it looks like it’s been in the water a while. I had no idea what this was at first and ended up doing an image search. I wondered if it was some kind of deep-sea plant, but it turns out it’s an Osage orange (also called a hedge apple) that actually grows on trees, not in the ocean. How it wound up washed onto the beach is still a mystery, especially since I’ve never seen them growing anywhere around here. Related: Best of Beachcombing: My Favorite Shells, Sea Glass, and Beach Pottery Finds I did a little research and learned this is a Big Turbo Wheels police truck. I found it in winter, so it had probably been in the water for quite a while before washing ashore. Finding a ball on the beach isn’t unusual. Finding this many in one day is. These four were part of at least thirty sports balls washed up in just the small stretch of beach I walked that day. I still can’t make sense of why so many appeared at once. I found a shocking number of plastic Easter eggs again this year. I’m not sure how they all end up in the ocean, but seeing so many washed up has completely changed how I think about them. Related: 6 Beautiful Beach Sunset Color Palettes This baseball cap brim really took me by surprise. I often see forgotten clothing and stray shoes on the beach, but never just a brim. It must have been in the water a long time for it to separate from the rest of the hat. I really enjoyed gathering these unusual beach finds over the past year. Whenever something unexpected caught my eye while I was walking, I snapped a photo and saved it for this project. I ended up with far more than I could reasonably include here, so this is just a selection of some favorites. I also take part in several organized beach cleanups each year and do many on my own, so a lot of the objects you see in these photos were removed from the shoreline rather than left behind. All photos in this blog post are my original photography. Feel free to repost them uncropped, but please credit me with a link back to this blog. Thank you! Save This Beachcombing Photography of Unusual Found Objects Pin this graphic on Pinterest, or bookmark this page, so you can continue to refer back to the photographs in this collection of unusual beachcombing finds. And don’t forget to follow Stars & Anchor on Pinterest and on Instagram for more coastal lifestyle and beach inspiration. Photography: The strangest things I found while beachcombing in 2025 Have you found an unusual object on the beach? Share your strangest beachcombing finds in the comments.

A glimpse into the quiet, natural beauty of the coast once the summer crowds are gone. With fall officially here, I might not be sitting in my beach chair anymore (although there were a few wonderfully warm days this October when I did just that), but I’m still taking frequent walks along the shoreline to soak in everything the coast has to offer. The crowds have disappeared, and the once-busy beach now feels almost deserted, with just the occasional fellow walker passing by. All good things must come to an end, but life on the coast doesn’t stop, it simply changes. While the ocean looks much the same, the seasonal shifts are obvious as soon as I reach our beach path. Walking through the dunes, the grasses that were bright green in summer have begun to fade to brown, and the goldenrods are in full bloom. Anyone familiar with fall on the coast has likely seen these sunny yellow flowers growing among the dune grass, signaling the quiet beauty of the autumn season. Spending time at the beach during October in the Northeast feels like a secret only a few truly know how to appreciate. With fewer people disrupting the landscape, the beach begins to return to its natural rhythm. Shorebirds rest undisturbed on the sand, some stopping briefly on their migration south. Shells and sea treasures are scattered across the beach, untouched. There’s a calmness to it all; a reminder that the coast is always alive, even in its quieter months. I hope you enjoy these snapshots from some of my fall beach walks. Snapshots of Fall at the Beach 1. Nothing says coastal fall more than seaside goldenrod in the dunes. 2. Signs of the leaves turning while walking up the sandy path to the beach. Related: Fall on the Coast Mood Board & Color Palette 3. There’s nothing quite like the view of the ocean in New England in the fall. 4. Seagulls and other sea birds are able to rest undisturbed by people. 5. The shoreline is scattered with untouched beach treasures waiting to be discovered. Related: Photo Journal: A Winter Beach Walk Fall along the northeastern coast has its own special rhythm. It’s a time of transition between the full energy of summer and the stillness of winter, when most people find it too cold to visit. Living near the beach means I get to experience all of its seasons and appreciate the subtle changes each one brings. All photos in this blog post are my original photography. Feel free to repost them uncropped, but please credit me with a link back to this blog. Thank you! Save This Fall Beach Photo Journal to Refer Back To Pin this graphic on Pinterest, or bookmark this page, so you can refer back to the fall beach 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. Photo Journal: Snapshots of Fall at the Beach in New England Which fall beach photo from this selection is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments.

A photo journal of the coastal landscape in January in the Northeast. January brought numerous snowstorms, and I couldn’t keep myself from taking a winter beach walk despite how cold it was. Blanketed in snow, the beach is peaceful and also mysterious. It felt so far from summer days, but also served as a quiet reminder that the ocean’s beauty doesn’t depend on warmth or summer crowds. The beach is beautiful in all seasons. Despite the below-freezing temperatures, I bundled up and headed down the path to the beach, trudging through the snow. But I wasn’t the first one to step onto the beach after the storm, for in front of me was a collection of deer prints — signs of life across the vacant landscape. It was so cold that the water had frozen in the more shallow areas, and waves were freezing as they lapped the shore. With the wind chill, the temperature must’ve felt in the single digits. Despite my hands going numb, I was able to snap some photos with the help of touchscreen gloves. The beach in winter feels both familiar and unexpected. Here are some snapshots from a winter beach walk that I took after a snowstorm in January. Winter beach walk photos 1. My first view of the beach as I reached the top of the beach path. The sea looked extra blue against the snow. 2. Looking across the frozen water of a more shallow inlet to a snow-covered beach. The water is frozen in a beautiful blue. 3. A close-up of more icy frozen water. I can’t remember the last time that I saw the water freeze like this. Related: How to Make the Most of Winter When You’re a Summer Person 4. It was so cool to see the waves freezing as they reached the snow on the beach. The tide was coming in. 5. It was interesting to see how the snow had gathered on the beach grass. Related: Best of Beachcombing: My Favorite Shells, Sea Glass, and Beach Pottery Finds Winter at the beach is something that most people don’t have the opportunity to see. Unless you live near the coast, chances are you aren’t making a trip to the beach during the winter months, instead visiting during the warm summer months when you can enjoy the best of what the beach has to offer. There’s beauty to be found at the beach any time of year, including in the middle of January after a snowstorm. Although almost guaranteed to be empty, the beach in winter shows us that there is still life and movement all around. With deer tracks in the snow, seagulls flying overhead, and the never-ending coming and going of the waves, it almost feels as if this quiet season allows the coastline to restore itself after working so hard to bring us joy during the rest of the year. I hope you’ve enjoyed my winter beach walk photo journal and that it offers a new perspective and appreciation for the coastal landscape during the coldest season. All photos in this blog post are my original photography. Feel free to repost them uncropped, but please credit me with a link back to this blog. Thank you! Save This Winter Beach Walk Photo Journal to Refer Back To Pin this graphic on Pinterest, or bookmark this page, so you can continue to refer back to the photographs in this winter beach walk photo journal. And don’t forget to follow Stars & Anchor on Instagram and on Pinterest for more coastal lifestyle and beach inspiration. Photo Journal: A Winter Beach Walk Which of these winter beach photos is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments.

A photo journal of my favorite beach finds in 2024. 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. My favorite beachcombing discoveries in 2024 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. 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. 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 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. 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! Save This Photo Journal to Refer Back To 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. Photo Journal: The Best of Beachcombing Which is your favorite photo from this beachcombing photo journal? Share your thoughts in the comments.

A photo journal of unusual found objects on the beach. I live in walking distance to the beach, so I’ve spent countless days this year walking along the shoreline beachcombing, meaning I look for interesting shells, sea glass, driftwood, and other items along the water’s edge. And while I look for these items, I inevitably come across some strange, unusual, and weird objects, too. This year I started a beach photography project of found objects as a way to document all of these unusual beachcombing finds. Some are funny, some are mysterious, some are a little sad, but they’re all unexpected and leave questions unanswered. I wasn’t expecting to find any of these items as I walked along the beach, and probably will never see some of these types of items again. Finding these unusual and weird items on the beach always gets me thinking about how they got there in the first place. Was a child playing with a toy on the beach, and forgot it there? Or was it washed ashore from a far away place? Was an item something that was thrown in the garbage that somehow made its way into the water, or was it ripped from someone’s home during a hurricane or storm surge? I’ll never have the answers, but will always wonder about them. Here are the most unexpected and unusual items I found while beachcombing this year. My Strangest Beachcombing Finds of 2024 One of my strangest finds at the beach is this blue statue, which through some internet researching I’ve learned is a Ganesha statue. It doesn’t seem like it would be used as a beach toy, so I wonder how it got here? It was sitting in the shallow water near the beginning of a tide pool, and is missing a piece of its trunk. This battery-operated tea light candle was sitting here on the beach, as if it were placed there, although I’m pretty sure it came in with high tide. I kind of wish I had checked to see if it still worked, though I doubt it would have. This colorful beaded bracelet makes me a little sad, thinking a child made it and then lost it while swimming. It had washed in with the tide, so who knows how long it was in the water for. This army man toy came to rest in a clump of debris on the beach, including a seagull feather. Related: Best of Beachcombing 2024: My Favorite Shells, Sea Glass, and Beach Pottery Finds One of my more mysterious beachcombing finds this year is this still-wet, burned page from a children’s chapter book, which after searching online I believe is Pearl the Magical Unicorn. Why did someone burn it, do they dislike the book that much? Or are they mad at the person who gifted them this book? We’ll never know. This water squirt gun came to rest in this interesting position on the sand after high tide brought it ashore. Something I was surprised about while beachcombing throughout the year was the amount of plastic Easter eggs that washed ashore. Sometimes they were in half like this one, and sometimes they were whole. Where are they coming from, and how come so many have ended up in the ocean? Related: 6 Beautiful Beach Sunset Color Palettes A magenta glass stone that reminds me of the glass stones used when playing Mancala. It makes me wonder why it washed up on the beach by itself. This toy was sitting on the water’s edge and had just come in with the tide. I’m sure a child was sad to lose this, which from some internet research I discovered is a Disney Palace Pet named Berry. This was discovered in the off-season, so I don’t think a child had forgotten it at the beach recently. Last but not least, one of the strangest things I found at the beach this year is this DVD case with what I believe is a homemade cover. Through a Google Images search I’ve discovered this is Hindu god Hanuman carrying Dronagiri mountain. I’m left with so many questions as to how this ended up in the water and washed up on the beach, and regret for not opening the case to see if the DVD was still inside. This photography project of found objects on the beach was fun to collect throughout the year. Every time I was beachcombing and came across something odd, I’d get out my camera, and file these photos into a folder on my phone. I have more, but I decided to limit this post to ten photos. I’m planning to continue this project in 2025, so check back if you’ve enjoyed this beach photography collection. All photos in this blog post are my original photography. Feel free to repost them uncropped, but please credit me with a link back to this blog. Thank you! Save This Beachcombing Photography of Unusual Found Objects Pin this graphic on Pinterest, or bookmark this page, so you can continue to refer back to the photographs in this collection of unusual beachcombing finds. And don’t forget to follow Stars & Anchor on Pinterest and on Instagram for more coastal lifestyle and beach inspiration. The Strangest Things I’ve Found Beachcombing: a photo journal of unusual found objects on the beach Have you found anything unusual on the beach? Which of these unusual found objects is your favorite? Share your beachcombing finds and thoughts in the comments.