Fascinating Shetland seashore discoveries

The feeling of seasonal change is undeniable, with daylight now reaching past 5 O’clock and warmth returning to the sun. Despite the spring-like feel, this can be a time of wild winds and stormy seas, weather that is a beachcomber’s dream.

The past few weeks social media has been filled with photos of treasures washed ashore, seabeans, marbles, mermaid’s purse and pieces of seaworn pottery. Many beach finds are shared with others in the community via the Shetland Seashore Discoveries Facebook group.

I love walking on the beach after a storm, when the wind has eased but the sea retains its energy. The world feels alive with colour and motion as the sun transforms waves to turquoise and makes rainbows of spindrift. Looking from sky to sea, my gaze returned to the sand around me. And then I saw it. My first seabean.

Seabean is the collective name for seeds that get washed ashore, thousands of miles from their places of origin. They are elusive, rare in number and difficult to spot amidst seaweed and stone.

The one I found was a hamburger or horse eye seabean. Its real name is, Mucuna sloanei, a species that is found in coastal swamps around the Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

Another that has been found recently is the Molucca bean, or sea heart. These come from rainforests of central America, when they fall from the tree some get carried along rivers to the ocean. Holding such a small fragment of a distant plant feels incredible, imagining the journey it has had to get here.

A slightly more common, but still special find, are hazelnuts. Although hazel trees were part of Shetland’s landscape in the distant past, the ones that wash ashore come from further afield. Usually from Mainland Scotland, currents bring them north.

Taking a closer look at the tangle of seaweed marking the tide’s highest point can reveal beautiful spirals of bark. These scraps of birch are often from forests in Canada. Once dried, this oil rich wood catches light easily and burns with a strong, sweet smelling flame, earning them the name Loki’s candles.

In a place with so few trees, these were a valuable source of tinder in Shetland’s history.

In addition to shells, seabeans and seaglass, this month I have found two mermaid’s purses. At first glance these shapes could be mistaken for seaweed, but closer inspection reveals their identity as egg cases.

Species of shark and skate develop within the protection of this tough pouch, once they hatch the discarded egg case drifts with the currents. One that I found was 15 cm long, the biggest I have ever seen.

A little research told me that this would have housed a baby flapper skate, a species that can reach two-and-a-half metres when fully grown.

Internationally they are critically endangered but Northern Scotland is an important habitat for them, each egg case evidence of a new life.

The Shark Trust has some fantastic identification resources, including an Easter Egg case hunt, designed to help children recognise what they find along the coast.

As well as being a fun challenge, this is an important citizen science activity. Recording numbers and locations of these egg cases can provide data on the population levels and distribution of shark and skate in our seas.

There's no better way of exploring Shetland's spectacular shoreline than by foot.Check out our walking page with a selection of excellent routes.