Have you ever heard of a sand dollar? Even if you haven’t, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen one at the beach or at a souvenir shop… they’re these smooth, hard, white discs that have a pattern in the centre that resembles a five-petal flower. Quite simply, they look absolutely beautiful! So it’s not surprising that sand dollars are very popular in arts and crafts, being used for wall art, jewelry,embellishments, wedding decorations, and so much more! But what the heck is a sand dollar and what purpose do they serve?
Well, it turns out that the sand dollars that most of us are familiar with are, uh… the remains of a dead sea creature. More specifically, it’s the skeleton (called tests) that’s bright white because it’s been bleached by the sunlight. Sand dollars got their name long ago when the people who discovered them thought that they looked like old Spanish or American dollar coins.
Here’s a sand dollar being used for an absolutely stunning wedding favour! But… what the heck is a sand dollar?
Sea dollars are burrowing echinoids that are related to sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and starfish. And when they’re alive, they like to hang out in shallow coastal waters along the sandy ocean floor where they eat microscopic particles of food. And when they’re alive, they’re not white… they’re actually green, purple or blue!But you know what’s even more surprising?
But you know what’s even more surprising? Check out the video below and see what’s on the sand dollar’s under-side!
