Collecting Mermaid’s Tears at Indian Beach

There are many great beaches in Cape Breton and many activities undertaken while visiting them, but none creates such joy as collecting beach glass. Known to some as mermaid’s tears, beach glass started its life as bottles, vases, windshields, or other glass items. Through the turmoils of time and the constant beating of ocean water and sands, the glass smooths and clouds over.

These glass gems, the most rare of which are red, can be found on many beaches around Cape Breton but not so numerous as at Indian Beach in North Sydney. Located near the Newfoundland Ferry this beach is under constant pounding from the daily passing of the ferry. Leaving this beach littered with small nuggets of beach glass ranging, on average, from the size of a grain of sand to that of a nickel.

I have been to many beaches but at Indian Beach it is like picking blueberries. You just sit yourself down and fill your bucket.