If you have ever walked the shores of South Padre Island in search of shells you will have seen a Sea Bean and maybe even picked one up. They look like smooth brown stones and have a darker brown seam around the outside. Sizes range from an inch to 3 inches and are usually a flattened oval or even a heart shape. Sea Beans can be fashioned into jewelry or kept as a pleasant worry stone or pocket momento. But, what they really are is a fascinating look at how far nature will go to spread some plant DNA around.
Sea Beans originate on tropical shores and rain forests of South America. They often hitch a ride down the Amazon River to the ocean and from there various tides deposit them all over the works. They can drift for thousands of miles. Sea Beans have a hard shell and an internal air pocket which allows them to float.
Next time you are out on the beach, pick up a Sea Bean or two. Whether it winds up in your pocket or you cast it back out to see its important to take a moment to marvel at this impressive bit of intracoastal propagation. Mother nature is busy at work even in the little Sea Bean.