Images of Maine are replete with rocky shorelines and seaweed, but what is not so visible are all colorful pieces of sea glass waiting to be discovered by beachcombers.

Each summer on the shores of the Belfast Bay, it is not unusual to see treasure hunters scattered along the waterfront, sometimes in groups but often alone, many bent at the waist, gazing intently down at the rocks and sand.

Of course, there are countless gems to seek at the beach — driftwood, seashells, even trash; however what draws more interest than most are vibrant pieces of softened glass, worn smooth by time in the surf and sea. 

Sea glass, and the hunt for it, is nothing new. Nor is are the countless pieces of artwork created with it. For those who don’t have access to a nearby beach, sea glass can be made using any broken glass and a relatively inexpensive rock tumbler. But it is the work in finding hard-to-spot pieces in the natural landscape, and knowing the ocean took care of the tumbling, makes genuine sea glass more sought after than any that is manufactured. 

In Belfast, residents and visitors are fortunate to have a stretch of beachfront from the Belfast Boathouse to the Front Street boat launch. Not only is the beach popular, but with the help of a long-ago bottling plant that operated in Belfast, there is often an array of pieces to be found, for those who look hard enough. 

Some lucky beachcombers might even find a frosty piece of glass from the time when Dana's Sarsaparilla was brewed and bottled in Belfast. The drink was sold, “as a reliable remedy for the liver, kidneys and diseases of the blood,” according to the Maine Historical Society. The “remedy,” which was loosely regulated at the time, was brewed and bottled in Belfast from 1889 to 1917.

There is no secret to collecting sea glass; it really is as simple as going to the beach and looking down, scanning for anything that stands out, and analyzing whether one holds in a hand a polished rock or an ultra-weathered piece of sea glass. 

Helpful tip: Go out after storms, or a particularly rough surf, when it is more likely that pieces will be tossed ashore. Look near tidemarks, where mounds of smaller stones and weathered glass can be found. Searching at low tide also gives you the widest stretch of shoreline to check, given how much more of the beach is exposed. Facing away from the sun and searching for the sparkle of glass can also be useful as it makes spotting the pieces easier.

The longer a piece has been at sea and tumbling, the smoother and frostier its appearance. Along with the old sea glass that comes from the last century, there are also newer pieces to be found, up to and including shards that appear to have just met the sea. These are often picked up and thrown back into the ocean for more tumbling, though others pick up the sharper pieces and recycle them. 

Sea glass can take anywhere from 20 to 100 years to be worn completely smooth by the tumbling surf and soaking in the salty water. 

And while sea glass can only be found in the ocean or on ocean beaches, the more ambiguous nomenclature of ‘beach glass,’ can be used when the glass is found on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. 

Most sea glass collectors eventually build a treasure chest filled with a wide array of colors and shapes; brown, translucent, and green being among the most common colors. The seven rarest colors of sea glass to find are orange, turquoise, red, yellow, black, teal and gray. Genuine sea glass also retains the scent of the ocean, an intoxicating aroma to take home.

In addition to the enjoyable aspects of combing for sea glass, the mere proximity to the ocean and the thrill of the hunt contributes to improved mental health and mood. 

Exposure to the sun and air, changing one’s scenery, engaging the senses with the ocean sounds, smells and sights, a trip to the beach is never wasted. Simply walking on a beach engages muscles and counteracts feelings of isolation. One is simply happier by the water, according to Web MD. 

Is it OK to take sea glass from the beach?

The answer is yes, of course, unless otherwise noted. While there are some beaches where taking glass is prohibited, there are no such areas in the Midcoast. Despite its beauty and the fact that it is sought after, the bottom line is that sea glass is still technically litter. Beautiful, yes, but not a natural addition to the environment. 

Regardless, there is something magical about the often tiny treasures. To many, sea glass is a symbol of survival. Tossed and shattered, destined for the bottom of the sea, the pieces are slowly tumbled to shallow water, and then, decades later, they surface from the surf, no longer shattered and sharp. Gifted by the ocean to a lucky beachcomber.