Taking the ocean home with me.

by Jennifer Britton
(Cape Breton, Nova Scotia )

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Hi, I'm not sure how active this page is, but hopefully someone can give me some feedback on this!


My family spends a bit of time on Cape Breton Island every summer. I wish we lived there, and my heart breaks every time we have to leave to go back to Ontario for the winter. I'm an avid beach glass collector and have had such wonderful luck over the years, but this summer I found the most incredible piece.

I picked up what looked to be just a simple piece of brown beach glass. It appeared to have been melted at some point, but otherwise just looked like any number of other pieces I've collected over the years. But when I held it up to the sun, I couldn't believe it- there was ocean water trapped inside!

At first I thought that it must have a hole or something in to have let the sea seep in there, but I've had it on dry land for several weeks now and nothing leaks out. The sea is completely and perfectly sealed inside, with a small little air bubble that allows me to better see the water moving around in its little chambers. There is also a small amount of beach sand in there too.

I've searched online to try to find any other examples of this happening, and haven't found any yet. I'm sure the glass must have melted then solidified again in the water, but I can't get over how neat this is! It's hard to really show how incredible it is with a photo- I can't show the water moving in a still frame, obviously. But I have taken video which shows it quite clearly. Unfortunately I can't seem to upload it here, but I'm happy to email it to anyone who is interested in seeing it.

I just wanted to share this with other people who might appreciate just how cool it is, so was happy to find this online community. Leaving Cape Breton this year was still heartbreaking, and I am counting the days until I can make it back- but at least this time I was able to bring a bit of the sea home with me.

I'm hoping to make the piece into a pendant or something so that I can wear it close to my heart.

Comments for Taking the ocean home with me.

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Aug 29, 2017
 Video of the ocean in my sea glass
by: Anonymous

If you email me at jennilynnbritton

gmail.com, I would be happy to reply and send you the video that I took which shows the water in the glass.
Aug 29, 2017
 Inverness, Cape Breton
by: Shirley

How lucky ! I just love Cape Breton.

Last month I was on Inverness beach and found quite a bit of sea glass in an hour and a half. This was my first time ever searching for it and now I'm hooked ! Found lots of white, green and a few amber pieces . Would LOVE to find some blue.

I'll be back in October and am looking forward to finding more
Aug 28, 2017
 Please show me your ocean glass
by: Meagan

I would love to see this. I have just started glass collecting over the last year. I'm hooked. I love it, I'm thrilled to find others that love it so much.

If you would like to share your video please send it to me. meaganwildes
at
yahoo.com I live in Kennebunkport Maine. I try to go glass hunting at least 3-4 times a week. Thank you
Aug 28, 2017
 Follow up!
by: Jen Britton (original poster)

Hi Everyone. I'd love to share the piece in the festival, however I'm in Ottawa and we can't come down- as much as I'd love toN in the meantime, I'm very happy to share my video of the piece.

This site won't allow me to upload it, but I'll see if I can manage to get it uploaded to YouTube and then will post the link. In the meantime, if you send me an email at jennilynnbritton

at

gmail.com, I'm very happy to send you the video file privately.

Thanks everyone for your interest in my little piece of the sea!

Jen
Aug 22, 2017
 Trapped Sea water glass
by: Sterling

You should enter this piece of sea glass into the Mermaid Tears festival next July on PEI. It's our 10th anniversary and will be even better than ever.

We have a great shard contest for sea glass, ceramics, bonfire glass - anything that comes from the sea.

A 7 year old boy won the top prize this year. He found his glass in New Brunswick last winter. He was thrilled with his $400 prize.
Aug 22, 2017
 Cape Breton
by: Stephanie

Love this site and love collecting Beach
glass.

Indian Beach In Sydney Mines in Cape Breton is one of the more popular places for Beach Glass. There are tonnes of small pieces including green, brown, blue but there are lots of bigger pieces, especially white &brown.

Happy Hunting!
Aug 22, 2017
 Sounds Amazing
by: Karen

I would love to see a photo or video. It sounds like you have found something very special.

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