Some of the larger pieces are nice to keep themselves. Sand dollar pieces are often easy to find along North Carolina’s beaches. Remember, sand dollars that are not white or that seem to be moving are alive, please don’t take those home! They also tend to congregate by the dozens, if not hundreds, in several square yards.Īnother interesting video of a live sand dollar Sand dollars like to live in sandy ocean bottoms, with many grouping fairly close to shore in several feet of water. When they die and are washed ashore the spines disappear and the shell, or test, is bleached white in the sun and becomes quite fragile, which is why whole ones are such a rare and fun find.Ī real-time video of a live sand dollar in action When they are alive, sand dollars are covered with soft colored spines – most of the ones we see around here are a bit maroon colored. Sand dollars are actually the bleached out skeleton-like remains (often called “tests” by those in the know) of a creature from a family of creatures known as Clypeasteroida, relatives of the star fish and the sea urchin. Like most of what we find during a stroll along our beaches, those things we know as sand dollars were once living creatures. Some of these sand dollars must have been six to eight inches across, and they were covered in a soft slimey fur.īefore then I was vaguely aware that sand dollars were creatures, but I had never really given it any thought. This was the first time we had ever come across live ones and we were having a ball. In about four feet of water we keep kicking into huge round objects that turned out to be live sand dollars. Some years ago Jennifer and I were visiting Cape Lookout and swimming just off the beach in the Bight. We’ll detail those steps in just a moment.īut first, let’s answer a question that I was relatively unsure of until recently: We’ve been successful in the past with a simple 3-step process for preserving sand dollars. How should you preserve sand dollars so they can be around to beautify your home and bring back memories of the time that you found them? Like many, if not most, visitors to Sand Dollar Island, we came away with dozens of sand dollars in great shape.īut, as anyone who has ever found a whole sand dollar knows, they are extremely fragile. More sand dollars than the kids could hold! After the destruction the National Park Service wrought on Carteret County’s local businesses with its ferry service changes, it’s nice to see a local ferry service doing well. We don’t seem to be alone, either, as we have heard that it has become a hot ticket for Island Ferry Adventures. That post has become one of our most popular ever, and Sand Dollar Island has become one of our new favorite spots around Beaufort. It was about a visit to Sand Dollar Island we made back in June. Last month, we published a post on Southern Girl Travel entitled North Carolina’s Last Best Place.
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