Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
The items you may stumble upon at the beach are usually nothing out of the ordinary. Apart from seashells, dead corals, and algae that washed ashore, you may also find rocks, pebbles, and, unfortunately, litter.
However, some people come across interesting finds that you won’t see during a typical day by the ocean. We’re talking about oddly colored sea creatures, jewelry from eons ago, and eroded parts from what appears to be an ancient sea vessel, among many others.
We’ve collected these images from the different corners of Reddit. Scroll through and upvote those that catch your eye!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
7 Lb Piece. This Behemoth Came Out Of Lake Erie In March Of 2024. Prior To Finding This I Had Never Collected Sea Glass But Now It's A Hobby For My Wife And I
RELATED:
#2
Hanging Out At The Beach
#3
35 Rings Found On The Beach
Since the planet is made up of 70% water, it’s inevitable for things to end up in the ocean. A 2020 study painted a picture, revealing an estimated 23 metric tons of plastic waste in waterways in 2016.
These figures likely do not include the 28,000 rubber duckies that fell into the Pacific Ocean in 1992. The kiddie toys came from a freighter that capsized while traveling from China to America after being caught in a storm.
#4
Was Walking On The Beach For Some Exercise And This Tough Guy Beach Bully Decided That I Was Trespassing On His Territory
#5
I Found This Small Chunk Of Driftwood On The Beach, However I’ve Never Seen One Like This Before. Apparently, It's A Burl
#6
Not Something You Find On The Beach Everyday
A similar incident occurred in 1997, when a cargo ship carrying five million LEGO bricks capsized off the southwest coast of England. The sea vessel was traveling from Rotterdam to New York and lost all 62 shipping containers.
The incident, more infamously known as the Great LEGO Spill, is deemed the “single largest toy-related environmental disaster in history. Many experts claim that people continue to find LEGO pieces to this day.
#7
In 9 Years Of Diving Venice Beach, FL. My Best Meg Tooth Appears, 4.25 Inches. Took Out My Regulator And Kissed It I Was So Happy. Judge Me Freely, Don’t Care
#8
Abandoned Houses In Mirlo Beach, A Once Thriving Oceanfront Town On North Carolina's Outer Banks
#9
I Found A Door (And Nothing Else) On An Abandoned Beach
Finding plastic toys in the ocean is one thing, but what if you stumble upon something so strange-looking that it causes panic in you? This is what happened in 2019, when a mysterious-looking orb washed up on the shores of East London.
Police initially suspected it to be an unexploded bomb and called on inspectors to investigate. But upon closer look, it turned out to be a giant Christmas bauble.
#10
My Amazing Find, The Sea Biscuit (Sea Urchin) I Didn't Know What It Was. As Always, Google Helped Me Out
#11
Mother And Girlfriend Found This On The Beach Today. Any Idea What It Is?
geared4war:
Dofleinia armata, the armed anemone. Also called the striped anemone.
#12
There's An Exposed Coal Seam In The Cliff At My Local Beach
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
That's a 300-million-year-old piece of Earth's history you're looking at. Very cool.
Due to the large number of discarded items that fall into the ocean, many experts have used them to track currents. In 2023, Kagoshima University Professor Shigeru Fujieda stipulated that disposable cigarette lighters could be an excellent tracking tool.
“Disposable lighters are one of the few types of marine litter that have evidence of their source, because they have printed information about the consuming country or city (e.g., point of sale address or telephone number),” Fujieda wrote in his paper published in the Regional Studies in Marine Science.
#13
Snow On The Beach In Florida
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
Witnessed a Christmas Eve snowfall on saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson - this is equally rare and cool!
#14
Found This Cool Bottle On A Beach In Raritan Bay
Lee Gilliland 3 months ago
That's an EXTREMELY rare find, most poison bottles of that era were bright blue as a safety measure.
#15
Every So Often I’ll Come Upon A Lobster Tail That Is Empty But Still Glistening In The Sun
According to research ecologist Andrew DeVogelaere, discarded items that wash up ashore can be removed. The problem arises when items like hazardous medical waste, for example, sink to the bottom of the ocean and become trapped there.
“We don’t even know the names of a lot of these things,” he told Popular Science. “We’re impacting a whole ecosystem that we don’t even understand.”
#16
Sea Urchin Teeth I Found In Croatia Years Ago
#17
These Things Washed Up On A Beach In East Australia, Anyone Know What It Is?
Redditor froguille replied:
"Blue glaucus (glaucus Atlanticus) I believe they're also called blue angels. Only reason I know is I used to research sea slugs and sea cucumbers during my high school study halls....."
User ActuallyAdrien added:
"All I can say is don't touch!"
#18
I Found This Thing On The Beach, But I Haven’t Seen Anything Like It In Real Life Or Online Before. It's A Pin Cushion Starfish
#19
Dropped My iPhone On A Beach And The Magsafe Case Attracted Titanomagnetite From The Black Sand
#20
I Found A Bunch Of Baby Hermit Crabs Wrapped In Some Seaweed At The Beach
#21
Glass Beach, California
#22
Pacific Football Fish Washed Up At Oregon Beach. Only 31 Specimens Have Ever Been Documented
#23
What Happens When You Have A Mix Of Very Cold Temperatures, Sand, Snow, And Tidal Water From The Ocean? Frozen Sand Slabs On The Ocean City Beach
#24
This Washed-Up Jellyfish Looks Like An Iris
#25
Found This Little Guy While Working On The Beach. He'll Have A ~14ft Wingspan Within Two Years!
#26
Found A Large Metallic Cylinder On The Beach Of Husavik, Iceland. What Is This?
We asked around and it turns out that these are submarine detectors, nothing to worry about, no explosive inside!
#27
Wife And I Found This Today. No Idea What Is, But We Are Stoked
#28
I Found Whale Baleen On The Beach
#29
My Dog Found A Huge Bone At The Beach Today
#30
Flying Cruise Ships Illusion (Fata Morgana) Spotted Today 23/06/21 On The South East Shores Of Cyprus
Janissary35680 3 months ago (edited)
I've encountered examples of this mirage several times in the Izmir gulf. It seems to be linked to temperature and humidity.
#31
Just Found This Tooth On The Beach
#32
I Found A Fossil At The Beach Today
#33
Ichthyosaur Paddle Bone Which I Found On Charmouth Beach, UK
#34
What’s Left Of This Chimney On The Beach
#35
What Is This Fiber/Sand Ball? Found Among Thousands Like It On A Beach In Spain. It Weighs Almost Nothing
User 4-me responded:
"Sea grass ball - send me some"
BrightestHeart added:
"That's lovely. Aquatic tumbleweeds."
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
From Wikipedia: Posidonia oceanica, commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free floating and known in Italy as "the olive of the sea" (l'oliva di mare). Balls of fibrous material from its foliage, known as egagropili or Neptune balls wash up to nearby shorelines.
#36
Sealed Glass Vial On The Beach
We found this small sealed glass vial with an orange liquid inside that had washed up on the beach in Scotland. Any ideas what it could be? Should I resist the urge to crack it open.
occasionalrant414:
It's in too good a condition to be, but it sort of looks like the acid ampoules the British used on limpet mines and other demolition munitions during WW2.
They worked by being put into the detonation system, then being crushed. The acid would eat through copper wire (different thickness of wire slowed down or sped up the time). Once the wire split, the detonator would trigger and bang.
The ones I saw, admittedly years and years ago, were a bit flatter? I saw them in a museum in Portsmouth back when I was at college - 20+yrs ago. They came in a impact resistant case.
Can't be, but looks similar.
Secret_Artist_8092:
The North Sea is full of WW2 weapons that were dumped.
Maggie Fulton 3 months ago
Maybe check with a museum? I would definitely not crack it open without knowing what it is. Could be acid. Could be a perfume sample. Don’t find out the hard way.
#37
The Beaches Here In The Netherlands Have Free Sunscreen Dispensers
#38
This Buoy From The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Recently Washed Up On The Shores Of Ireland
#39
Found This On A Beach In New Zealand- There Were Thousands Of Them At The High Water Mark. What Is It?
Anonymous:
it's a bluebottle.
didnt sting you because a lot of them lose their tentacles when theyre washed up. theyre pretty common.
it seems to be attached to some pebbles and a Vellela.
Lynchamigsakta 3 months ago
Why do people touch organic materials and creaultures they don't recognize, I'll never understand that lack of self preservation. On the other hand I guess we have these people to thank for the knowledge of what plants and mushrooms we can eat
#40
Found A Shark Egg In Santa Barbara
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
One of my favorite childhood books was "The Shark in Charlie's Window" that started out with a boy finding a shark egg pod like this on the beach.
#41
What Is This Thing? Found On Jones Beach, NY, About 1.5-2 Inches At Widest Point
TheVambo:
European Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) seeds
#42
Housemate Found This On The Beach By Our House In The South Of Ireland
#43
Found Skate Egg Pouch On The Beach
#44
Largest Seaweed Bulb I’ve Seen In The 15 Years I’ve Lived At The Beach
Laserleader 3 months ago
Big bullwhip kelp... it has been having issues growing over the last ten years. It only has one summer to get full size before it rots, and our kelp beds have barely produced or died off
#45
Found Purple Crown Jellyfish On A Beach On Western India
#46
This Piece Of A Whales Spinal Column That Washed Up On The Beach
#47
Sitting On The Beach When This Monster Floats By
#48
This Really Intrigued Me. The Sand And Shells Were Embedded Into The Mask As The Ocean Integrated The Mask Into Its’ World
#49
I Found A Whale Skull At The Beach With No Other Bones Around It
#50
Quicksand Swallows Man At Lake Michigan Beach
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
"911, what's your emergency?" "Hey, so I'm kinda stuck here. Can you send someone?" "I'm sorry, stuck where?" "Like in quicksand? On Lake Michigan beach." "What is your address?" "I dunno, north shore? Just look for the guy stuck in quicksand."
#51
A Type Of Black Coral
Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
This is an awesome photo just for its composition! Edit out the thumb!
#52
Sand Dollar Left A Trail On The Beach At Low Tide
#53
These Sharks Sleeping Near The Shore
#54
Epic Beach Find This Morning. 1890’s Local Beer, Blob Top. One Of My Best Finds To Date. The Top Was Just Barely Peaking Out Of The Mud
#55
This Washed Up Jellyfish Had A Fish Inside It
#56
A Red Tide Made A Lot Of Fish Wash Up On The Beach And I Found A Puffer Fish
#57
Bony Marine Skeleton Found On A Beach Near Charleston, Sc. About 3.5 Feet Long And Slightly Leathery In Some Places. Dog For Scale
#58
Whale Skull That Washed Up In San Francisco
#59
Washed Up On A Beach In Florida
#60
Found A Purse That Appears To Have Been Buried For Over 30 Years On Sanibel Beach, Florida. 1988 Map And 2 Ameriflora ID’s
#61
A 40-Ton Barge Washed Up On Our Local Beach After Some Heavy Storms This Week
#62
This Mussel Covered Shoe Washed Up On The Beach
#63
Beach Finds On The Beach
#64
A Giant Rubik's Cube Washed Up On Shore
#65
Buoy Washes Up On Shore
#66
Dreams Do Come True. A Shipping Container Fell Off During A Storm And This Is What Washed Up On The Beach
#67
Dense Rubber-Like Slab Washed Up On The Beach
What is this thing? Northern California beach. It was very dense and heavy, maybe 40-50 lbs. Definitely not foam. Smooth-ish and kind of waxy/hard on the outside. In picking a corner off, it seemed a little softer inside, possibly rubber, but all the other rubber finds seem to be layers of dark material, and there were no layers to this. No smell. We didn't have any tools to cut into it. Thanks for your ideas!
Latter-Scallion-4755:
I used to work for Goodyear and actually done the job that used these. It's definitely a slab of pure rubber from rubber trees in Africa. Other ingredients went in to color it black and others to make it more plyable and easier to work with. And yes people rubber actually comes from trees believe it or not...
RamiRudolph 3 months ago
Wow, that's cool. I would keep that, just so I can say I own a slab of pure rubber.
#68
8 Inch Round 15lb Metal Ball Found 12 Inches Under The Sand In Yaupon Beach, Oak Island, Nc
#69
Rusted Iron Sphere With Hole Found On Irish Beach
Bigted1800:
Its part of a bottom trawl rig, we used to call them rolling bobbins.
#70
Found On A Beach In Iceland
small sign says
"J08425 001"
"max depth: 500msw"
USA
Anonymous:
If it helps anyone, MSW is meters of sea water, and this is probably some sort of underwater cable grounding or routing system.
#71
Found On The Beach Near Myrtle Beach, SC. We Just Had A Big Storm. It's Very Firm And Breaks Apart Smoothly. Seems Organic. Hypothesis Is It's A Large Chunk Of Fat
#72
Found A Glass Squid On A Beach In Cape Town, South Africa
#73
Spotted This On A Beach In Puerto Penasco, Mexico. I Didn’t Touch It, But It Seemed Hard And Not Squishy. It Looks Like Montastreas Coral
#74
All These Rock Stackings On The Shore
#75
The Warnings On An Australian Beach
#76
Found 8 Different Colors Of Sand Within 10 Feet Of Each Other At The Beach
Beak Hookage 3 months ago
Ever been to Rainbow Beach? There's a good reason why it's called that!
#77
Found This Wreckage Washed Up On Shore In The Bahamas
#78
This Car-Engine Boat-Anchor I Found Washed Up On The Beach
#80
Weird Hollow Lens Shaped Things Stuck Together With No Pattern. Found On A Beach On The West Coast Of Scottish Highlands
#81
I Found This Near-Microscopic Shell At The Beach Yesterday
#82
I Found A Piece Of A Ship Washed Up On The Beach
#83
Washed Up On A Beach Near Me, Bomb Disposal Blew It Up But Didn't Say What It Was
#84
Corroded Metal “Wheel” About 34” Across Found At The Beach
Found in Santa Barbara, CA
#85
Found A Spiny Mole Crab On The Beach In Malibu
#86
Found A Dolphin Skeleton While I Was Hiking Through A Beach
Lily bloom 3 months ago
What does one do when they find something like this? Should it be reported so it can be collected and used in an educational capacity? Left there to allow nature to reclaim? Would it be wrong to take it home to study and display?
#87
I Found A Cluster Of Fish Eggs On The Shore
#88
Portable Toilets On The Shores Of An Uninhabited Island Only Reachable By Boat In The Florida Everglades
Beak Hookage 3 months ago
Boaters must have been using the place for pit stops and the local authorities had had enough.
#90
Rusted Metal Sphere Found Buried In Beach In Sligo, Ireland. It Seems To Be Around 2-3 Meters Wide. Nothing Is Written On It, And No Electronics As Far As I Know
#91
Found This Guy Walking On The Beach In San Diego, CA. Any Ideas What It Is? Looks Familiar. Guessing Jellyfish Of Some Sort
#92
Internal Shell Of Cuttlefish I Found At The Beach In Faro, Portugal
#93
Brought This Shell Home From The Beach (Wales, UK) And A Blood Worm Came Out Of It
#94
These Papery, Brittle, Shell-Like Objects Are By-The-Wind Sailors. Found Littered All Over A Beach In California
#95
Found Chitons On A Beach In Cancun. They Are Marine Molluscs Of Varying Size
#96
The Remnants Of A Scientific Clam Survey
#97
Vial Of Liquid I Found On The Beach
#98
This Japanese Bottle Of Some Toilet Cleaning Stuff I Found Washed Up On Shore In San Andres, Colombia
#99
40 Year Old Styrofoam Mcdonald’s Wrapper Washed Up On The Shore
#100
Found This While Beach Combing In The Olympic Peninsula. I've Never Seen Anything Like It
#101
Washed Up On A Beach In Wales. We Have Been Told That It Could Be Paraffin Wax, Bees Wax Or Whale Vomit? There Is A Slight Petroleum Smell To It But Not Potent
KatWitch57 3 months ago
Chunks of Palm Oil can wash up on beaches and are toxic, especially to dogs.
#104
Found A Diamond Washed Up On The Beach
#105
Large Chunk Of Aluminium Washed Up On A Beach On Ishigaki, Okinawa. About 1.5m2 In Size. Honeycomb Structure Inside. Might've Been Attached To Something Made Of Fibreglass (Light Brown Material)?
#106
All On The Beach. Forbidden Grass Clippings
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Lara Verne 3 months ago
I'm surprised how many people see some sea creature washed up on beach, don't know what it is and touch it with their bare hands.
Phantom Phoenix 3 months ago
It is extremely stupid. Which is to say that it's perfectly congruent behaviour for the majority of humanity. For fewer incidents of surprise, I'd recommend a drastic lowering of your expectations of intelligence. Current trends suggest that you will need to periodically adjust for deflation.
Load More Replies...
Gingersnap In Iowa 3 months ago
Would someone please explain to me, land locked lady, why is whale vomit valuable? Honest question.
Rose the Cook 3 months ago
Ambrein, an odourless alcohol, is extracted from ambergris and used to make a perfume’s scent last longer. For hundreds of years, perfumers have categorised the quality of ambergris according to its colour, with the finest perfumes made from pure white varieties. Black ambergris is the least valuable because it contains the least ambrein.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
These were fun - would help to have more info about the pics. I do like being an Internet sleuth, though, trying to figure out what some of these weird things are.
Mimi M 3 months ago
Click the link bottom left of the pic. Often more info at the link.
Load More Replies... 
Bruce Mardle 3 months ago
I'm surprised this list didn't mention people finding white phosphorus on a beach.
Lara Verne 3 months ago
I'm surprised how many people see some sea creature washed up on beach, don't know what it is and touch it with their bare hands.
Phantom Phoenix 3 months ago
It is extremely stupid. Which is to say that it's perfectly congruent behaviour for the majority of humanity. For fewer incidents of surprise, I'd recommend a drastic lowering of your expectations of intelligence. Current trends suggest that you will need to periodically adjust for deflation.
Load More Replies... Gingersnap In Iowa 3 months ago
Would someone please explain to me, land locked lady, why is whale vomit valuable? Honest question.
Rose the Cook 3 months ago
Ambrein, an odourless alcohol, is extracted from ambergris and used to make a perfume’s scent last longer. For hundreds of years, perfumers have categorised the quality of ambergris according to its colour, with the finest perfumes made from pure white varieties. Black ambergris is the least valuable because it contains the least ambrein.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 3 months ago
These were fun - would help to have more info about the pics. I do like being an Internet sleuth, though, trying to figure out what some of these weird things are.
Mimi M 3 months ago
Click the link bottom left of the pic. Often more info at the link.
Load More Replies... Bruce Mardle 3 months ago
I'm surprised this list didn't mention people finding white phosphorus on a beach.
You May Like “It May Be The Single Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen”: 50 Urban Explorers Share Their Creepiest Finds “I Really Wish I Was Making This Up”: 44 Unbelievable Moments That Made People Question Reality “Her Scream Has Been Imprinted On My Heart”: 40 Moments That Left Hospital Staff Shaken
Mantas Kačerauskas
Indrė Lukošiūtė
Greta Jaruševičiūtė
Related on Bored Panda
