If you've even seen a sand dollar, you know that the burrowing sea urchins don't look like much from a distance. Sometimes, they don't even look like they're alive, but when you turn them over, you make an incredible discovery!
But even if you've seen a million of them, you probably don't know how they move, or even if they do. After all, they look like simple shells and it's easy to mistake one in this way. But the truth is, they travel across the sand when they're on land, although at an incredibly slow pace. Their movement is almost non-existent in real time, but luckily one man's footage is giving us a clue into the true nature of these creatures.
YouTube user mrjustin5 was walking along the beach when he came across a sand dollar with some sand on top of it. He set up a camera and filmed its movement. And wait until you see it for yourself — it's quite extraordinary!
He says that some move in straight lines, while others move in a circular way. He accelerated his footage, and on it, you see how the edges of the sand dollar propel it forward in that same circular way, creating a beautiful pattern in the sand.
Please SHARE if you've always wondered about these fascinating creatures, and know others who have, too!
