Meet Durban North’s treasure hunter
Ensor's detectorist spark began to flicker while walking along the beach in uMhlanga.
MEET Donald Ensor, Durban North’s very own treasure hunter. Ensor made headlines last week when he found a men’s 18ct gold wedding band. The band, bearing two wedding dates and four names, caused quite a stir on social media with his post having been shared more than 1000 times.
Ensor said he has always had a penchant for ‘searching for treasure’ but it was only three years ago that he decided to take it up as a hobby.
He walks anywhere from Shaka’s Rock Beach to the uShaka Beach. “Of all the items I’ve found, I would say a World War II Polish medal that was awarded in 1944 has got to be the most interesting,” he said.
Armed with his detector machine, Ensor has stumbled across a wealth of treasure and has amassed a collection that now includes thousands of coins an array of fishing sinkers, diamond rings, gold jewellery and titanium rings.
“When I was a kid, I used to go diving for tackle, sinkers and I’d find the odd ring. I spoke to guys with detector machines and after seeing a youngster with his machine walking along uMhlanga Beach, pick up a Sovereign, the bug bit. I usually spend about two hours on the beach just looking for stuff,” he said.
Ensor keeps a close eye on the weather patterns. Usually a windy night means a shift in sand or perhaps a collapsed sandbank, which can reveal a wealth of treasure.
“I’d rate finding a Kruger coin as one of most treasured finds and I also found a ring that dates back to the 1900s.”
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