January 2008 Beachscape - Discover Island Treasures
Friday, December 28th, 2007
Discover Jekyll Island Treasures
For generations, beachcombers have delighted in finding glass fishing floats that separated from European and Asian fish nets. The colorful floats could drift for years, driven by winds and currents, tossed and polished by the surf and sand until they eventually washed up on beaches around the world. Today, finding one of the original glass floats is rare; the fragile glass spheres face the are often broken or lost among crashing waves, rocky shorelines, and tangling seaweed. Every year, Jekyll Island celebrates the tradition of finding glass fishing floats by placing colorful blown glass floats along the beaches. Beginning on January 1, a special group of “Beach Buddies” hide the hand-crafted floats above the high water line on Jekyll Island’s beaches. From January 1 through February the floats hide among the shores, waiting for a special Jekyll visitor to discover it. After a beach comber finds a float, he or she takes the treasure to the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center on Downing Musgrove Causeway. There, the finder can register the float, receive a certificate of authenticity, and have his or her picture taken to post on the Island Treasures website. For more information on how you can discover an Island Treasure, visit www.jekyllisland.com/islandtreasures
