The sand dollar, or “sea biscuit” can vary from a rich reddish-brown to a vibrant shade of purple, and is hairy in its prime. It is one of the most beautiful and coolest things you can find when visiting the coast lines. They are a species of sea urchin, which is covered in tube feet and spines that are used to move and eat.
Seaside Aquarium / Facebook
The live creatures feed on algae and other small bits of organic material. When they are alive, they are not white in color and most people will find them only after they’ve deceased. The sun is said to bleach them out, which actually turns them white. The “shells” are actually said to be their skeletons, and are widely sought after beach finds.
Seaside Aquarium / Facebook
Recently, just last Sunday, the Seaside Aquarium posted photos of the sand dollars to Facebook. The photos, as we have included in this article are a beautiful sight indeed.
“At this time, we do not know what has caused this, and these types of incidents usually have several contributing factors,” the aquarium wrote on Facebook.
While finding so many in the same spot is rare, finding them along Oregon beaches is said to be pretty common. Check out the images below to see more! Have you find many sand dollars on the Oregon Coast, or perhaps in Washington and California? Let us know in the comments below.
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