We woke this morning to find huge 'islands' of Sargasso weed floating past the anchorage. It has a lacey, frondlike make up clustered with tiny brown bladders that look like 'pearls'.

Sargasso weed originates from the Sargasso Sea, an area of ocean situated between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico and so the Bahamas is well placed to get its fair share of it and masses has drifted into the area over the last few weeks.

Fish love it - using it as a shade from the sun and feeding on the algae that live within it. Once it's washed up on the beaches small birds rummage through for any remaining goodies. However, the smell is awful, as it dries out in the sun giving off a 'rotten egg' aroma.

We love beachcombing and there are other hidden treasures within the Sargasso weed which it has collected on its journey to a beach - these include unusual shells, sea glass and sea beans.

The fragments of seaglass can be hundreds of years old and most likely from ship wrecks - old bottles, glass windows etc - their sharp edges worn smooth with time - once polished, they make lovely necklaces and bracelets.

Seabeans, on the other hand, are much less old and ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream, have transported them from the tropics to distant shores thousands of miles away. They are also used for jewellery after being buffed and polished to a high shine.