The Sunset Inn Blog
Sand dollars at Sunset Beach!
Sand dollars at Sunset Beach
Many of our guests report finding dozens of Sand dollars in one trip to the beach! I tend to be a little jealous each time I hear these stories but still very excited for our guests. This past December, my husband and I walked on the beach on a terribly cold and windy day and I’m pretty sure we were the only nuts out there! It was amazing the amount of Sand dollars we found. I actually felt slightly guilty for picking up so many.
Just today I had a guest bring in a Sand dollar for Susan. Susan has never found one herself and told the guest this yesterday morning during breakfast. On her way out of town the nice lady brought Susan one of her Sand dollars!
Sand dollars live on top of or just beneath the surface of the sand. The spines on the underside allow it to burrow or to slowly creep through the sand. They have fine hair-like cilia that cover the spines. They have food grooves that move food to the mouth opening, which is in the center of the star-shaped grooves on the underside. On the ocean bottom, sand dollars are frequently found together. Live sand dollars can be greenish, bluish or purple and they have velvet like texture.
I can’t wait for my next walk on the beach! Hopefully I’ll be as lucky as I was in December!
The Sunset Inn
9 North Shore Drive
Sunset Beach, NC 28468
(888) 575-1001 (Toll-Free) (910) 575-1000 (Local)
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