MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA – If you’re looking for something different to do on the beach with summer only a few weeks away, how about a song that sings?
Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts is known for the 2016 Oscar-winning film of the same name. It is also locally known for Singing Beach.
“It’s Singing Beach because the sand sings. So it may not sing every day like the rest of us, I guess, but it does make a singing sound when you walk across it,” Cheryl Marshall, the city’s Parks and Recreation Director, told WBZ-TV.
CBS Boston
What makes sand sing?
According to the state website, the sound is caused by sand grains of a certain size, shape and mineral composition. It also has to be dry. Here’s the explanation:
Some beaches make unusual noises when you walk across them. These sounds, known as singing, barking or whistling, can be caused by an abundance of evenly sized, almost spherical grains of quartz sand on the beach (without much dust or organic matter between the grains). It is thought that walking across this material causes a vibration as the layers of sand grains slide over each other. Singing sand is more likely to be heard on the dry upper part of the beach, because these grains do not stick together like wet sand. Want to hear it for yourself? Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea is actually named after this phenomenon.
“Honestly, when it’s quiet, it’s heaven. It really is,” Marshall said.
“I walk a few miles on this beach every day and there’s always something going on,” said lifeguard Aislin Wallick.
“I would say it’s more of a beeping sound than a singing,” resident Rachel Steeg told WBZ.
We couldn’t get it to sing. It had rained the night before, so the remaining moisture in the sand may have had an effect. Luckily, there’s YouTube. You can watch and listen to it yourself here.
How do you get to Singing Beach?
You can try it yourself, but don’t bother driving. The parking lot is small and is for residents only on weekends. They reserve about 40 spots for out-of-towners Monday through Friday. It costs $30. Your best bet is on the Rockport line of the MBTA’s Commuter Rail. The beach is within walking distance from the Manchester stop. But be warned, there is a $10 entrance fee to the beach.
It may cost a bit, but according to the locals it’s worth it.
“The water here is very peaceful and calm, very relaxing,” Wallick said.
