Coastal Foraging Guide (What is Edible + Tips & Advice)

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When people think about foraging, they may imagine traipsing through woodland or picking berries in a field. But along the coast, there are a lot of wild foods to be found. From seaweed and plants to mollusks and crustaceans, coastal regions are really something of a smorgasbord for the modern forager.

What is Coastal Foraging?

There are a lot of delicious foods just waiting to be discovered around the coast. The art of foraging, or gathering, food in these regions is one that is filled with delights. You’ll always find something new and exciting depending on where you are in the world.

What’s great about coastal foraging is that you can get your hands on seafood like crabs, clams, mussels, and much more, and it’ll be much fresher than you’d find in a supermarket.

You’ll get out in that fresh sea air, so coastal foraging is also good for your health, and that’s before you’ve sampled any tasty treats. And of course, the concept of getting free food is always a bonus.

There are lots of places you can do coastal foraging like rock pools, cliffs, dunes, and during low tide. However, while there are a lot of foods to be found, we won’t include fishing as this is not foraging but another activity entirely.

Edible Coastal Plants

Plantlife is in abundance along the coastline. Your location will determine what’s available, but generally, you’ll find a lot of plants here that can’t be found anywhere else. Take samphire or sea beet for example.

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

Sea buckthorn is sometimes considered an invasive plant as it grows so abundantly. You’ll find it all over the world, including the USA, Europe, and the Himalayas, as well as far east as Japan.

Typically, this thorny bush will grow all along coastlines, but it’s often planted in developments as it makes a good hedge plant.

How to Identify

You will easily be able to tell sea buckthorn apart from other plants thanks to the light orange-colored berries and narrow leaves. These are medium-sized shrubs but some may look more like a small tree.

Nutritional Value

Sea buckthorn is packed with Vitamin C as well as Vitamins E and B1. Moreover, this is a powerful antioxidant.

How to Eat

The berries of the sea buckthorn plant have a very acidic taste owing to the presence of malic acid. However, cooking the berries or turning them into juice does improve the flavor. They’re also great for making wild tea.

Sea Beet (Beta Vulgaris maritima)

Sea beet, sometimes called sea spinach, grows all around the coastal areas of Europe and Asia. It can often be found on the lead up to rocky or sandy beaches well out of the way of the water. They are common on mudflats and in fields near the coast.

How to Identify

The leaves of the sea beet are dark green with a glossy sheen. They’re oval but are often twisted, and this is an easy way to identify them. When the plant flowers, you’ll notice pairs of flowers with five petals.

Nutritional Value

Sea beet leaves are low in calories, containing just 39 per cup, and are filled with vitamins, particularly B9. They’re also very high in iron and manganese, as well as containing high levels of Vitamin C.

How to Eat

The leaves of the sea beet plant are great as an accompaniment to a fish dish, but they can also be stir-fried. Some people like to blend them with other ingredients for a morning smoothie.

Sea Kale (Crambe maritima)

Sea kale grows far above the tideline and can usually be found on shingle beaches and in areas with coarse sand.

The plant does struggle to thrive in many areas, so always be mindful not to forage the purple shoots. These plants grow across the United Kingdom and the USA.

How to Identify

One of the easiest ways to identify sea kale is to look for the deep purple shoots. These plants also have thick green leaves and white flowers that have a scent not all that dissimilar to honey.

Nutritional Value

Like many other coastal plants, sea kale is rich in Vitamin C, which is important for protecting the immune system, tissue repair, collagen production, and many other things.

How to Eat

The wonderful thing about sea kale is that you can eat it raw in a salad. However, it’s also great to include in soups and even adds some beautiful flavor to quiches.

Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea)

Typically, you will find marsh samphire growing near the low tide mark. It’s common on mudflats and salt marshes as well as sandy areas and estuaries. The plant is common throughout Western Europe, as well as in the United Kingdom.

How to Identify

Marsh samphire is a small plant that doesn’t grow much taller than 12 inches. It has long green shoots that have a similar appearance to asparagus.

Nutritional Value

Marsh samphire is a great source of fibre but it’s also bursting with Vitamins A, B, and C. Additionally, it’s got high levels of potassium and calcium.

How to Eat

The great thing about marsh samphire is how versatile it is. It goes very well in salads but can also be boiled and eaten with fish dishes. It’s even possible to caramelize it or use it to make pesto.

Sea Aster (Aster tripolium)

These delicately colored flowers can often be found growing on cliffs and in salt marshes and estuaries.

Sea aster grows abundantly around the UK apart from some of the northeastern parts of Scotland. They’re also common in parts of Central Asia and some areas of North Africa.

How to Identify

Sea aster has a purplish/white flower that typically blooms between the months of July and October. The leaves are a key giveaway and are thick and fleshy with a glossy texture.

Nutritional Value

Sea aster is high in iron, and this is evident in the taste. Moreover, it contains a lot of vitamins including A, C, and D. This makes for a healthy immune system and Vitamin A is known for helping the eyes function better in low light.

How to Eat

The leaves of sea aster are often pickled. While the flowers are edible, they don’t have the best taste, so are often left out of the wild kitchen.

It’s also common to use the leaves as an accompaniment to fish dishes. In fact, some chefs even use them when wrapping sushi.

Sea Purslane (Halimione portulacoides)

Sea purslane is a massively abundant plant that you can often find in sandy areas and salt marshes. This is an excellent plant for international foragers as it is found in almost every corner of the world, and where it grows, it grows a lot!

How to Identify

When foraging sea purslane, you’ll need to look for a low-growing, wide-spreading plant with woody stalks and thick oval leaves. Keep in mind that this is a succulent that produces small yellow flowers.

Nutritional Value

This plant is an excellent source of protein and also contains high levels of fiber. Interestingly, sea purslane also contains a lot of omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for improving cardiovascular health.

How to Eat

Sea purslane has a very salty taste, but it can be eaten raw. Usually, this is done when using it as a garnish for fish, but it’s also possible to steam it. However, you should be careful when doing this, as the salty taste can then become incredibly bitter.

In some cultures, such as parts of Asia and Native American culture, sea purslane would be pickled before eating.

Edible Seaweeds

As well as an abundance of coastal plants, foragers are also treated to various kinds of seaweed.

One of the great benefits of foraging seaweed is that there aren’t any risks of poisoning, so you can try as many of the thousands of varieties as you’d like, although some are more edible than others. Plus, these plants are packed with vitamins and minerals and also iodine, so they’re brilliant for your health.

Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

You’ll find sea lettuce between the high and low tide marks clinging to rocks and sometimes other things like buoys. This is one of the most widespread types of seaweed that can be found throughout North and South America, across Europe and Africa, well into Asia, and as far south as Australia and New Zealand.

How to Identify

This seaweed has brightly colored green sheets that are quite large, typically growing up to 45cm. The leaves start lighter in color and get darker as the seaweed ages.

Nutritional Value

Sea lettuce is extremely high in both iron and calcium. It’s also rich in vitamins including A, B1, and C. Much like other types of seaweed, it contains high levels of iodine which helps produce the hormones needed to control metabolism.

How to Eat

The best way to eat sea lettuce is in a salad. You can generally treat it the way you would treat any other type of lettuce. It’s also a great addition to a smoothie.

However, the most common way to eat it is to dry it and sprinkle it over stews, fish, and other dishes to add flavor.

Kelp (Laminariales)

You’ll find kelp in dense forests near the shoreline. There are several different types of kelp that have become popular in Atlantic countries as a food source owing to how much this seaweed grows in this ocean. This type of seaweed is now commercially farmed in the United Kingdom.

How to Identify

Spotting kelp isn’t too tricky as the seaweed comes in large brown strips. The leaves, known as blades, are flat and pointed. If you’re foraging in the USA, you’ll notice that the kelp has gas-filled bladders near the holdfast at the base.

Nutritional Value

Kelp is incredibly healthy to eat. In fact, this is one of the reasons it has become so popular. It’s a fantastic antioxidant and antimicrobial food and is also known to have anti-cancer properties. It’s filled with vitamins including A, B, and E.

How to Eat

You can purchase kelp in dried strips, and it’s possible to eat it like this. However, it’s commonly used in Japanese soups and can be sliced up and used in a salad.

Dulse (Palmaria palmata)

Dulce is a widely growing seaweed that can be found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, it is more common in colder waters, especially in places like Scotland.

How to Identify

Dulse has a deep reddish/purple color and has an appearance similar to lettuce. The long, smooth leaves have a slightly pointed end and a leathery texture.

Nutritional Value

Filled with potassium and calcium, dulse is a great choice of food for healthy bones. This seaweed is also known to help lower blood pressure.

How to Eat

This is one of the most versatile types of seaweed and is often sold as a dried snack in countries like Canada. The Irish use dulse in their famous dulse champ which combines the seaweed with butter and potatoes.

It’s also possible to add dulse to soups and salads and since it has such a prominent taste, it’ll add a lot of flavor to your dish.

Laver (Porphyra umbilicalis)

Laver is sometimes referred to as nori but they’re one of the same things. This seaweed can be found growing all around the coasts of Great Britain. Most commonly, it grows in the upper parts of rocky shorelines.

How to Identify

The leaves of the laver seaweed are dark purple in color as well as deep brown and green. The seaweed has a strand-like appearance and a texture that some people compare to a black refuse sack.

Nutritional Value

Laver is packed with iodine which helps in the production of hormones for metabolism. This is important for healthy bone and brain development, especially for the unborn fetus.

How to Eat

Laver is most famously used in the Welsh dish, laver bread. The seaweed is turned into a puree and mixed with oatmeal before being spread onto toast. However, it can also be used as an ingredient to make a sauce.

Sea Spaghetti (Himanthalia elongata)

You will find sea spaghetti in almost every part of the world. It grows throughout North America all the way from British Columbia down to Mexico. It’s also widespread in the United Kingdom and is normally found in partially exposed locations and rocky shores.

How to Identify

It’s pretty difficult to mistake sea spaghetti for anything else as it looks exactly how you would imagine. long, fibrous strands of dark colored seaweed that can be up to a meter in length each. Where it grows, you’ll typically find a lot but always remember to forage sustainably and leave a little behind to encourage new growth.

Nutritional Value

Sea spaghetti is very high in protein and low in fat, so it’s very healthy. It has good amounts of Vitamin C as well as high levels of iodine, iron and fiber.

How to Eat

You can treat sea spaghetti in the same way you would treat normal spaghetti. It’s also great for making pesto. However, some people like to fry it or even deep fry it, so it’s certainly one of the more versatile coastal foods.

Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima)

Sugar kelp may be found from the low tide mark and further down. You’ll find it attached to rocks and large stones but may also find it in gullies. This type of seaweed can be found all over the world and is particularly popular in Asian cuisine.

How to Identify

Sugar kelp comes in long ribbon-like strands that can grow up to four meters in length. Some people compare their appearance to a feather boa. Be sure to look for the holdfast at the base and a narrow cord.

Nutritional Value

Eating sugar kelp provides you with a considerable amount of iron as well as good levels of vitamin K, which helps in bone development. Moreover, this type of seaweed is high in carbohydrates and minerals like copper, magnesium, and calcium.

How to Eat

Sugar kelp has a naturally sweet taste, so it’s often used in dishes to add extra sweetness. It’s also fantastic to include in soups and stews, but you can also dry it to make sugar kelp chips.

Mollusks

When foraging for mollusks, one of the most important things is to make sure that you choose clean water. These creatures are filter feeders, so will ingest any toxins in the water, which will then be passed on to you. 

There are gastropods, bivalves, and cephalopods, although the former two are more easily caught in shallow water along the coastline.

Razor Clams

The best time for forage for razor clams is at low tide. They prefer sandy areas and will be close to the low tide line. Typically, they’re very common along northern Pacific coastlines, such as in Washington, USA.

How to Identify

You will know where razor clams are lurking thanks to the little air holes they leave behind. The clams themselves are long and narrow.

They’re a little tricky to catch, but there is a solution. To encourage them out of their holes, try pouring a little salt in, and the clams should come right out!

How to Eat

Before cooking your razor clams, be sure to thoroughly clean them to remove all sand and debris. You’ll also need to douse them in boiling water for ten seconds before transferring them directly to cold water; this will allow you to remove the meat. You can then fry them, use them for sauces or add them to dishes like clam chowder.

Limpets (Patella vulgate)

Limpets will only ever be found on flat surfaces as they need this to latch on. The ideal place to spot them is on flat rocks at low tide. Limpets are incredibly common and are found all over the United Kingdom, but also on other western European coastlines.

How to Identify

The limpet is quite easy to tell apart from other shellfish thanks to its star-like shape with a cone. These creatures have just one sucker on the underside. There aren’t any other similar mollusks, so you’re unlikely to confuse them.

How to Eat

Make sure that you prepare and cook your limpets as soon as possible. Eating one that has already died isn’t the best idea. However, to tell whether they’re alive, just check how easy it is to remove them. If they’re dead, they won’t cling on to the rock very well, whereas live ones can be tricky to remove.

To cook limpets, you must fry them, sucker side down, in hot oil. This will ensure you only eat the edible sucker and not other body parts.

Mussels (Mytillis edilius)

Mussels can be found all over the world. One of the biggest commercial producers of mussels is China, but if you’re in the USA or UK, you won’t have a hard time finding them. Look out for mussels during low tide, where you will notice them clinging onto rocks. Don’t forget to check under seaweed as they like to hide here.

How to Identify

It’s very easy to identify mussels thanks to their dark-colored, elongated shell. You won’t be able to confuse them with anything else as there aren’t any other mollusks that will be attached to rocks that have a similar appearance.

How to Eat

To gather your mussels, simply twist and pull. For larger ones, you may need scissors but they’re generally easy to remove. There are plenty of ways to cook them including grilling or BBQing, as well as pan frying them with butter, cream, white wine, and thyme to make the famous dish, Moules marinière.

Oysters

Foraging for oysters is a little more challenging as these creatures don’t typically surface, and you’re highly unlikely to find them above the water. For this reason, you must dive to catch them and the best time to do this is during low tide in spring when the water is at its lowest. You’ll typically find them attached to rocks, and you might need something to knock them off.

How to Identify

There are two different types of oysters, depending on where you are foraging. In Pacific areas, you will find the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea bigas), which has a ruffled shell and deep cup. They also have a more salty taste than the Atlantic oyster (Crassostrea virginicas). The Atlantic oyster has more of a tea-drop shape and is flatter with a more shallow cup.

How to Eat

While it is possible to eat oysters raw. Most people will cook them, and the shell naturally opens allowing you to access the meat inside.

Cockles (Cerastoderma edule)

Cockles are unlike other mollusks as they don’t cling to rocks. Instead, you will find them on sandy beaches at low tide. No matter where you are in the world, if there’s a sandy beach, you’ll likely find cockles. Sometimes, they may be below the sand, so you might need to dig using a rake or your hands.

How to Identify

Cockles have a rough shell that is shaped like a heart, so they’re quite easy to identify. There are some cockles, such as the egg cockle whose shell is smooth but these are really only found in Asia.

How to Eat

Cockles can be boiled or pan-fried, or you might cook them on the grill. They’re great for adding to chowders but can be seasoned and eaten on their own.

Clams

Clams can be found all over the world, and there are several different types, including the Atlantic hard-shelled clam, Manila clams, and the soft shell clam, among others. However, regardless of the variety, you’ll normally find them on sandy beaches. Just like cockles, you may have to dig in the sand to find them.

How to Identify

Clam shells have ridges that run from one side to the other and their shape is quite similar to cockles. If you notice little jets of water coming from air holes in the sand, it’s likely that a clam is the culprit.

How to Eat

Clam chowder is one of the most famous dishes in the United States that involves clams. However, many people also like to fry clams with flavors such as lemongrass and ginger for an Asian twist.

Periwinkles (Littorina littorea)

Like many other types of mollusk, you will find periwinkles, sometimes just called winkles, attached to rocks. They’re very common in rock pools so are great if you want to stay on the beach.

Periwinkles can be found in numerous places around the world, including most of the UK, Russia, Scandinavia, Canada, and the USA.

How to Identify

These small mollusks look very much like land snails. They have a small ‘door’ on the underside to protect themselves from predators.

How to Eat

The great thing about periwinkles is that they’re so easy to cook. All you need to do is boil them for around seven minutes and they’re good to go.

Some people like to eat them seasoned with salt, while others prefer a little garlic butter. You will need a toothpick to remove the meat from the shell once cooked, but it should come away pretty easily.

Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus)

Scallops will normally be found during low tide, and you might need to be a bit observant. They’ll normally be hiding in little hollows in the sand, and you can spot them by looking for little jets of water.

These shellfish can be found all over Europe and North America, and it is not uncommon to find them in estuaries. Although when the tide goes in, they can live up to depths of 110 meters.

How to Identify

Scallops have a very classic fanlike shell shape and can get quite large. Atlantic scallops tend to be bigger, growing up to 9 inches, while the bay scallop is usually half this size.

How to Eat

The best way to cook scallops is to remove the meat from the shell and pan-fry them in hot oil. They go very well with lemon and garlic butter with greens as a side.

Crustaceans

Much like mollusks, you’ll be able to catch crustaceans without heading out to deep water. However, you should keep in mind that there are limits on what you can take. For example, some local authorities expect you to take the minimum-sized crustaceans. If you are in any way unsure, check this before foraging.

You’ll find plenty of crustaceans in rock pools, but to get the best harvest, make sure you head out during low tide. While there are different ways to catch crustaceans, such as using a lobster pot, this equipment isn’t always allowed, so this is something else to check before you go.

Gooseneck Barnacles (Pollicipes polymerus)

Gooseneck barnacles can be harvested at any time of the year, and you will usually find them attached to rocks. They prefer areas where the tide hits a lot however, they are commonly found on the Northern parts of the Pacific ocean. If you’re in Alaska and south down towards Baja, you will be able to forage these.

How to Identify

One of the key identifying features of the gooseneck barnacle is the long black stem which has a white shell on the top. Some people might mistake them for the buoy barnacle, but this type doesn’t attach to rocks and will simply float.

How to Eat

Gooseneck barnacles are incredibly versatile and delicious, and they’ve become a staple of haute cuisine menus across the Eastern United States, Canada, Spain and Portugal. They can be served in pasta dishes as well as with asparagus and garlic. For a more simple dish, try blanching them and serving with butter and parsley.

Crabs

Crabs can be found in almost every marine environment in the world. Although what you’ll find will depend on your location.

In the United Kingdom and Europe, the spider crab and the brown crab are very common. Although the former is also prevalent in north Pacific regions. In the USA and other parts of North America, you are more likely to come across the blue crab, the stone crab, or the Dungeness crab.

How to Identify

Most people are familiar with what a crab looks like, they’re quite unlike other animals, except for maybe lobsters, but these tend to have a longer body. Spider crabs are round and move quite slowly, while the blue crab has a wider body and blue patches on the pincers.

How to Eat

Before eating your crab, you will need to catch it, and since they can be difficult, hiding in rocks and other places, it’s useful to take a lobster hook with you. Also, be careful as larger crabs can cause severe injuries, even broken bones if they catch your fingers.

The best way to cook crab is to steam it over salted water or boil it. You can even buy or make a seasoning known as crab boil, which contains things like peppercorns, mustard seeds, chives, ginger, oregano, and bay leaves.

Lobster

Just like crabs, lobsters are found all over the world. And again, what species of lobster you are able to forage will depend on your location. If you’re in an area with warm water, you’ll find warm water lobsters which generally don’t have front claws. On the other hand, cold water lobsters do have front claws.

These crustaceans can often be found around ocean ledges, reefs and where the bottom of the sea is hard and rocky.

How to Identify

The most common type of lobster to forage is the spiny lobster as it lacks claws so it’s less dangerous. They are reddish-brown in color with white markings and a thick, muscular tail. However, the Maine lobster also known as the American lobster (Homarus americanus) is famed for its beautiful claw meat. You can tell these lobsters apart thanks to their grayish/blue hue.

How to Eat

Much like crabs, you will find that catching lobsters is so much easier when you use a lobster hook.

Most people boil lobster and this is the quickest way to cook it. However, it does lose some of its flavor this way. Roasting it along with herbs like tarragon, rosemary or sage will really bring out the flavor.

Shrimps & Prawns

The best time to find shrimp and prawns is at low tide, and the general rule is: the lower the better. This makes spring the perfect time to forage for prawns and shrimps, and you’ll need a net to catch them out of rock pools as they typically hide under the rocks.

These creatures can be found all over the world in both fresh and marine waters. They’re particularly abundant in the Atlantic ocean.

How to Identify

Shrimps and prawns are essentially the same creatures, with prawns being the bigger version of the former. Each of these has ten legs, but prawns have three claws while shrimp only have two.

How to Eat

It’s easy to cook shrimp and prawns as you’ll only need to boil them for three to four minutes. They can be eaten as they are or seasoned with things like lemon, chili, and garlic. They’re ideal to use in Asian cuisine and go exceptionally well in curries.

Useful Equipment for Coastal Foraging

While you could forage with just your bare hands, this doesn’t always make it easy and might be bad for the environment and anything but sustainable in some cases. So, before you head out, be sure to gather some essential coastal foraging equipment.

Knife

There are some things that are much more difficult to gather including removing mussels and limpets from rocks. They can grip quite tightly so having a knife allows for easier removal. You may also find that this tool comes in handy for cutting thicker or tougher plants.

Scissors

When foraging seaweed, you don’t want to remove it by its holdfast as this will prevent it from regrowing. Instead, take a pair of scissors and cut off no more than two-thirds of the leaves. New seaweed will grow, meaning a better harvest next time and plenty left over for wildlife.

Spade

If you’re looking for things like scallops and cockles, they may be located underneath the sand or a mudflat. In this case, you’ll need a spade to dig them up.

Rake

Looking for cockles also involves getting under the sand, but you might not need something as aggressive as a spade for this. A rake allows you to move sand away easily without damaging the cockles, and it makes it much simpler to find them.

Basket

The last thing you want to do is ruin your harvest, so having a basket to store your plants in will ensure that they aren’t crushed or squashed. Plus, a basket is more breathable than a plastic container or something similar, so your plants will have good airflow and will keep better.

String Bag

When you’re gathering items out of the sea, such as crustaceans and seaweed, it’s naturally going to be wet. Using a string bag gives you somewhere to store your catch and allows the water to drain off.

Dip Net

Shrimp and prawns are often under the water hiding beneath rocks. Using a dip net with a long handle allows you to get into tight spots and gather a good haul of shrimp in one go.

Lobster/Crab Hook

If lobsters and crabs are holed up, it makes it almost impossible to reach but using a hook with a long handle allows you much easier access. There are products made just for this purpose, but it’s also possible to make your own if you prefer.

Tips & Advice When Coastal Foraging

When it comes to foraging around the coast, it’s important to stay safe and consider the environment. Here are some handy tips to make the most out of your foraging adventure.

1. Harvest Sustainably

When foraging, you need to make sure that you don’t damage the spread of what you’re taking. There needs to be plenty left over for wildlife, other foragers, and for you when you come back next time. This means not picking everything but leaving some behind.

Moreover, you should be careful when taking seaweed. If you pull it from the rocks, this is akin to uprooting a plant so it won’t grow back. Take a pair of scissors and cut it away leaving a small shoot behind.

Consider how much of each food you need and only take this amount. There’s no point in taking more than you need, it’ll only go to waste. If you believe a species to be rare, it may be best to leave it where it is.

2. Respect Coastal Habitats

Nature has given us some wonderful wild foods, so we have to have respect for the environment. If you’re foraging in rock pools and need to move rocks, make sure to replace these before you leave. Not doing so could affect the habitat of crustaceans and fish living in the pools.

It’s also important not to damage plants and leave them in a state from which they can continue to flourish.

3. Ensure it is Legal and You Have Permission to Forage

There may be some restrictions on where you can forage, and it’s not worth getting into trouble with the law. If you are in any doubt, speak to the local authority who will be able to give you the best advice.

Even in places where foraging is permitted, there may still be limits on what you can take. For example, you might only be allowed to take lobsters of a certain size or you may only be permitted to take a certain number of shellfish. Check out local laws to save any problems on the day.

4. Make Sure You Know What You’re Picking

There are some plants that can be incredibly harmful to humans, so it’s vital that you know exactly what you’re picking. If you cannot 100% confidently identify a plant, then don’t take it. A foraging guidebook is a useful tool to take with you for confirmation.

5. Always Check the Local Water Quality

In some areas, the water quality may be less than desirable. In these cases, you won’t want to forage for anything that comes from the water, such as shellfish and crustaceans. Water could contain pollutants, sewage, and other types of contamination rendering the food unsafe.

Avoid stagnant water or rock pools that are not refreshed regularly. You’ll also want to avoid anywhere with a lot of watercraft, such as harbors and ports, as the water here could be contaminated with fuel and other pollutants.

How to Stay Safe While Coastal Foraging

The ocean and its coastlines can be one of the most dangerous places on earth. Even a seemingly calm sea could have undercurrents that could wash you away, unseen rocks, and many other hazards. Make staying safe one of your top priorities while foraging.

1. Respect the Tides

It’s all too easy to get caught out by the tide and in the worst cases, you could be swept out to sea. Even if you think you’re a strong swimmer, this isn’t always enough, especially with things like rip tides which can be incredibly dangerous.

Try to stick to foraging in the daytime as it’s easy to get lost in the dark, especially if you’re unfortunate enough to be stuck in the sea. Moreover, it helps to know the local tide times, so make sure you check this before going out.

2. Check the Weather Forecast before Heading Out

It’s also imperative to check the local weather before you go out foraging. If things are a little rough, this can mean larger waves, and these can be a particular hazard. It’s important to remember that the weather can also affect the tide, so educate yourself on how this might change things for you.

If a sea mist comes in, this can decrease visibility, and if you’re offshore, it can make finding your way back quite difficult. For these reasons, you should only forage when the weather is calm and pleasant.

3. Beware of the Coastal Terrain

The terrain along the coast can be very rugged, often with a lot of rocks. These rocks are usually very slippery due to moisture and algae, and tripping could result in broken bones and other serious injuries.

To prevent slips, it’s a good idea to wear neoprene socks or suitable shoes as this will give you the best grip. However, even while wearing these, it’s still essential to tread carefully and pay close attention to each movement.

If you’re foraging on cliffs, then staying away from the edge is a no-brainer. However, also be mindful that some seemingly safe areas could be eroded, and there is a risk of crumbling and landslips.

4. Wear Sensible Clothing & Footwear

We’ve already touched on the concept of wearing appropriate footwear, but this is something that cannot be stressed enough. Wellies are a good option if you’re going to be in marshes and similar areas but whatever you wear on your feet, make sure they are waterproof and have good traction.

Your clothing should also be waterproof, although some people choose to wear a wetsuit. This is great in colder weather or if you’re going to be spending a long time in the sea.

For foraging around rocky areas, protective gloves are essential. Made from neoprene, these will prevent cuts and grazes, but they’ll also help you to stay warm.

Even if the temperature isn’t particularly high, the sun can still burn you as its rays bounce off the surface of the water. For this reason, it’s wise to take sun lotion to protect your skin.

5. Let Others Know Your Exact Location

As long as you are careful, you should have a safe and enjoyable foraging experience on the coast. But of course, accidents can and do happen so it’s important to let someone know where you are. If you don’t return, they’ll know where to look. In the event that you suffer an injury or get swept out to sea, getting help to you will be much easier.

Also, make sure that you have a way of communicating with others. Taking a fully charged cell phone is the most obvious way of doing this but make sure that you have a waterproof cover to avoid losing performance in the event it gets wet. If you find that the area in which you are foraging doesn’t have a good signal, it’s a wise idea to choose another location.