From 70,000 lost Nikes to a Boeing jet engine, a snake-soaked sake bottle, and relics from Japan’s 2011 tsunami—John Anderson’s Beachcombing Museum in Forks, Washington turns ocean wreckage into a one-of-a-kind collection.
I love documentaries on sub-cultures!
Thanks to Kate Mothes of Colossal for the tip.
Watch “Extreme Beachcombing”
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Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: na
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na
Release Date: February 5, 2024
My Review of “Extreme Beachcombing”
The Setup
“Extreme Beachcombing” follows John Anderson. a retired plumber who has spent 46 years collecting man-made objects that wash up on the remote beaches of the Pacific Northwest.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Anderson once found a Boeing 727 jet engine part on the beach, complete with serial numbers. When he contacted Boeing, they first threatened to confiscate it—then refused to reveal what plane it had come from.
- One of his oddest finds? A snake in a sealed sake bottle. It’s a traditional infusion in some parts of Asia, but to most visitors, it’s just nightmare fuel.
- He picked up Nike sneakers from the infamous 1991 cargo spill, when 70,000 shoes were lost at sea. Beachcombers like Anderson spent years hunting for matching pairs.
- He once beachcombed for 62 hours straight, got home, took a shower, and immediately got a call to hop on a plane to Vancouver Island for more. Naturally, he went.
- Some of the Japanese tsunami debris from 2011—including wooden statues, personal items, and housing materials—ended up in his collection, making him rethink the personal histories behind every piece of flotsam.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Glass floats = the “Holy Grail” of beachcombing. Anderson’s obsession started with these vibrant Japanese fishing buoys, which were used until the 1960s and still occasionally wash up today.
- His museum has art made from garbage, including sculptures created from discarded plastic. Anderson insists that even trash can be visually striking.
- He built a beachcombing monument visible from the highway, dedicated to Amos Wood, one of the first authors to document beachcombing culture.
- He’s encountered hazardous materials, including barrels of toxic chemicals and rat poison, which he reports to authorities to be removed safely.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- He’s found nuclear submarine locator beacons and WWII-era survival radios, proof that some of the ocean’s lost objects have serious history.
- His museum attracted global attention—once even landing him in a German newspaper, which led to visitors flying in from Europe just to see his collection.
- The best message-in-a-bottle story? A kid wrote about his family and school project, then casually added that his stepmother was “lazy.” Years later, Anderson tracked the kid down online… and only found a mile-long rap sheet.
- He tried to recruit a local football team to help haul a heavy beachcombed object, but they wouldn’t do it.
Wrap-Up
“Extreme Beachcombing” is a quirky, fascinating look at one man’s dedication to collecting, preserving, and making art from what the ocean discards.
What starts as a hobby becomes an obsession—and, in Anderson’s case, a living museum. If you’re into niche subcultures, environmental oddities, or just love hearing about the weirdest stuff that washes up on shore, this doc delivers.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc