Can meteorites be found on beaches?
Rarely. Meteorites do land near coasts, but they rust quickly in salty water and are hard to tell from the many dark pebbles and slag on beaches.
Meteorites can certainly land on beaches, but finding them there is very unlikely, for several reasons.
Salt and water. Seawater and salty spray make iron-nickel metal rust rapidly. A meteorite on a beach or in shallow water would weather much faster than one in a dry field, crumbling within years to decades.
Camouflage. Beaches are full of dark, rounded stones polished by waves, which look a lot like meteorites. Many beaches also contain slag from old industries, such as iron works, glass making and coal-fired power, which is heavy, magnetic and dark. Most 'beach meteorites' brought to museums turn out to be slag, basalt, flint or ironstone.
Movement. Waves and tides move pebbles constantly, so a meteorite would be buried or carried away.
What is possible. If a fireball is observed to drop meteorites near the coast, searchers may check beaches promptly. Black sand on some beaches is rich in magnetite, an iron oxide from Earth rocks, which sticks to magnets but is not meteoritic. Sifting beach sand with a magnet can reveal tiny spherules, but most are industrial or volcanic, not cosmic.
If you find a possible meteorite on a beach, photograph it, note the location and compare it with known meteorites. Check whether collecting is permitted, as some beaches are protected. Remember the warning signs of Earth rocks: bubbles, layers, quartz and a glassy, shiny surface typical of slag.