Florida jetsam, and other beach detritus

It was a good year for Florida beachcombers, and for the sharp eyed, there have been many treasures washed up on our shores. I don't know why we end up with so many interesting things washed up here, but I have some theories. My primary one is that Florida just has some sort of weird magnetism that attracts the odd, weird, and addled. My other theory is that Florida with its 1350 miles of coast line provides ample opportunity for things to be washed up. With all of these treasure just waiting to be found, it's no wonder it seems that everyone in Florida has a sort of stooped over look.

This grand piano was spotted, by no doubt a music lover, on a sand bar in Biscayne Bay. One of the problems many a beach comber can have is if the find is large, transporting it back to Buffalo, or where ever you live can be a challenge. Finding a piano falls into the same category as finding a whale on the beach. As cool as the find is, sometimes size does matter.  

The Legoman that washed up on a Siesta Key beach was quite the find, but it it also points out that the iron clad rule "Finders Keepers" doesn't always work. Almost as soon as Legoman was found, it was taken into protective custody by the Sarasota authorities. There are concerns that Legoman is an illegal immigrant, and might possibly be a terrorist threat. It has been rumored that Legoman may be transferred to Gitmo for further interrogation, but he is mute on the subject.    

A washed up Florida devil fish is a rare but unique find for the lucky beach comber. This one was found by Juan Cabana on a Jacksonville beach. One should always poke these fish first with a very long stick to make sure it has really expired before handling. Bringing one of these home will make all of your friends back in Iowa truly envious of your Florida vacation. This fish is also the number one reason Florida's fishermen are always so heavily armed. You don't want one of these things alive flopping, and gnashing around in the cockpit.  

The salt water sucker snake can often be found dried up on the beaches. They have a small round mouth with lots of tiny little teeth. The bite doesn't hurt much, but if it stays attached for very long, it will inject its larva into you. If you feel something brush around your legs while swimming, you should gyrate around madly in the water to shake it off. Do this  like your life depends on it, and it may.

And shells, these things are littered everywhere. They cut your feet, poke into you through your beach towel while you're trying to acquire a good case of skin cancer, and in general are an annoyance. Take all of them you want home, and make cute little shell animals out of them. Most public beaches provide free burlap bags to help you carry them away. But remember, under no circumstances are you allowed to take rocks away from any Florida beach. Florida doesn't have very many rocks at all, they are zealously guarded by local communities, and are a good source of revenue from unaware visitors from Colorado.

The picture of the sea shells is via Wikimedia user Toby Hudson,
The saltwater sucker snake photo is from Sanibel Sea School website.
The Legoman, and piano photos were taken by J. P. Unknown.


Found something odd on a beach?  Send pic's and I will append them with attribution to this piece.