Alan Rammer’s “Top 5 Beachcombing Tips”!

Discovering sea glass, agates, Japanese glass floats and more, beachcombing in Westport has long been a favorite pastime of locals and visitors alike. Local biologist Alan Rammer, with a 32-year career with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and honored as the National Marine Educator of the Year offers his “Top 5 Beachcombing Tips”

1) Never turn your back on the ocean. Freak waves can happen at any time of the year!

2) Always glance behind you as you beachcomb as treasurers can commonly wash in behind you.

3) Glance side to side as you walk, never in a straight line. Take advantage of the lighting at different times of the day.

4) Think smaller when hunting and the bigger items will fall into your vision. If you think only large items, you will miss focusing on the smaller items around you.

5) Several days of westerly and southwesterly winds are best for long-range jetsam and flotsam to come ashore. Those winds are most commonly late winter and early spring. Watch for items covered in gooseneck barnacles and the little by-the-wind sailors (Velella) as harbingers that the good stuff is coming in shortly.

Happy Hunting!

About the Author: Alan Rammer