Meet Ambergris Caye’s Most Prolific and Inspiring Beachcomber
A few weeks ago, I met the most impressive beachcomber, collector and artist. He lives on North Ambergris Caye and has been walking and riding our beaches – from the far north to the far south – and collecting. Over 10 years of crazy impressive collecting. And turning finds – from driftwood, old paddles, sea beans, pods, shells, and more into beautiful things.
I LOVE collecting things on the beach and I’ve written about this love many times. About finding numerous big natural rubber bales washing up all over Belize, about seabeans (the beautiful seeds that float from forests and jungles all over the world to our shores), to coral and pumice and shells and the world’s largest single-cell algae, fishermen’s eyes… I find old rope and buoys (even one made of glass). The truly special stuff – like a hand-carved wooden paddle or the buoys – are rare but out there.
Note: This OLD article is a good overview of some of the seabeans you can find in Belize and how they got to our beaches. Coconuts are probably the most well-known “seabeans”. A bit of air grows into the seed or nut that allows it to float. AND it generally has a thick shell to protect it during its salty voyage.
If you keep looking, you’ll find some pretty cool stuff.
But no one I know has found as much cool stuff as Gary Lee. While I have dusty coffee cans filled with seeds and shells kit – he has sorted and cleaned, organized and…turned things into art.
Gary is retired from the railroad and originally from Big Sky Country – Montana. He was not an artist…or at least he wasn’t a practicing artist until he retired to Ambergris Caye.
I was SOOOO inspired when I visited a few weeks ago. Let me show you what I saw.
Mary’s Beans – which come from the jungles of Guatemala (according to this site) and float down rivers into the ocean…
I was smitten with the table of…fungi. I’ve found them before but Gary has all sizes! They are hard but light…and layered. Most are shaped like thorns…
I initally got an email from Gary after I posted an carved paddle that we found way up north. He has found about 15 over the past 10 years…
These two below are SO COOL. One with the more ornately carved handle…
And then the darker wood one that had been carefully repaired with metal binding.
And then the repair work…
Not only is his beachcombing and organization incredible but he turns things into very cool art.
Look at all of these “seahearts“! They come from a HUGE pod (up to 6 feet long) deep in Central American jungle and they reach the sea by river. In Belize, they are often called Horse Eyes or Deer Eyes- ojo de venado.
Around a mirror.
There is something beautiful everywhere you look…
Just a beautiful natural cross.
He was working on a dragonfly the day I visited…
Would it be too big of a project to plan a 2025 Christmas tree entirely decorated with sea finds? Festooned in garlands of seabeans…ornaments…purple sea fans…
It’s all so inspiring. I need to get out my coffee cans filled with dusty sea beans…and just start.
Thanks so much for having me over Gary. I LOVE this sort of thing and you hold the bar high!
If you are interested in talking sea finds or in Gary’s artwork, you can email him at garylee032051@gmail
There is a bunch of information online about sea beans and pumice but is all starts with walking the beach and just seeing something cool. Good luck out there!
Gary’s found 91 different types of seabeans…try to start with 5!
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Cool stuff. I do the same here in Sarasota, FL. Looking to move to Ambergris this year.
How I enjoyed this article. I found some neat things when I was there. Nothing compared to his finds. I love collecting things wherever I go. I even found a coconut there that somebody had painted black. That was my first & only trip to Ambergris Caye. I hope it’s not my last. I absolutely love it there. I sure miss the
Mango juice a lady sold on the side of the road. So delicious.
Thanks for this article & to the much creative artisan. ❤️
Gary Lee has auctioned off 10-12 uniquely designed paddle art pieces to his neighbors at Residences at Barrier Reef for the last two years with all proceeds being donated to RRR. We are lucky to own two Gary Lee paddle pieces. He also picks up trash weekly from the turn off to secret beach to the bridge. He is truly an amazing man that we are lucky to call our friend!
I own a star that Gary took right off his bedroom wall and sold to me. Like I’ve said before, Gary is a LEGEND!
Hat tip to Gary.
Some great artwork! What’s the words I’m look for oh yea cool beans.
Always intriguing things that wash up on the beach. Never know where they came from or how long the items were at sea.
Nice local art.
Tom Smith
Hi Tom,
Thanks.
Yes the paddles are so interesting and intriguing to me. There are different styles of carving and different species of wood. On finding one my questions are always, who carved them, where did they come from, how long have they been floating around, what current or currents brought them here, what wind, waves, or storms delivered them to these shores? How far have they traveled? Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, The Amazon??
Tee hee. COol beans indeed!
Has he found any ambergris?
That was my question reading the article! Fascinating
Hi Bill,
No l haven’t but l did see some ambergris that other people have found.
No glass ball floats or shark teeth either.
What a fabulous collection of treasures from the sea! Gary is a friend, an artist and a wonderful person.
LOVE the Christmas tree idea with “sea finds.” Great idea!
I mean…it would be sooo good. If only I’d start working on it instead of just talking about it 😉
Love this read. I collected a bunch of sea hearts on my last visit.
What a joy walking along shore and collecting memories along the way.
I’m even more inspired.
This whole things is just so darn delightful. Thanks for writing articles like this and being such a great advocate for the island. En route now for our 3rd visit and hoping to run into Gary on this trip! Keep on with the beauty (the articles and the sea art)!