A couple of days before New Year we headed for Ross Beach on the North West Mayo coast. This is one of our favourite beaches, particularly during the summer. But this was a frosty morning and there was actually frost on the sand, not something I’d seen before.
Ross beach
The tide was going out and had left some interesting things behind it. There was no sign of injury to this flatfish so I am not sure what resulted in its demise. Irish waters have 22 species of flatfish though there are 600 species worldwide.
Flatfish
These sea potato remains (known as a ‘test’), are a common find on this beach but there were probably about twenty. Recent storms may have been a cause. Alive, these little creatures are usually buried up to 15cm deep in sand or muddy sediments. They are also covered with yellow/brown spines. Sea potatoes are related to sea urchins.
Sea Potato (Echinocardium cordatum)
Sea Potatoes
There was also a lot of kelp washed up, which again is something that is found after the sea bottom has been disturbed by big waves. Despite the blue sky, the wind was cold so we were all glad to get back to the car.
Ross Beach
Murtagh's Meadow 
I’ve certainly never seen frost on a sandy beach before, nor have I heard of sea potatoes but can see the immediate link to sea urchins. A layman’s questions: did the sea potatoes die because they dried out and is there anything actually inside the shell? All fascinating.
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No, they probably died of natural causes (or as result of a recent storm) and then got washing up by the tide. By the time the tide has brought them ashore they are empty – the flesh inside probably eaten by small fish or other sea creatures. The tests that get washed up are brittle and easily broken.
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Despite the bitey cold I am envious – what a lovely mini adventure walking on Ross beach is xx
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Yes it is always an adventure!
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Oh, I am always so surprised when I stopped by…more evidence you live in heaven-right????? All the pics are stunning! Is this a place you made up-WOW..that is so beautiful! My parents moved to Corpsi Christi in Texas. It was on the Gulf and I remember going out early in the morning and collecting shells-BIG shells and not one broken piece. They were perfect-TONS of them scattered across the beach. I felt like a kid in a candy store-LOL. These treasures are beatuiful….( long sigh)…you made this place up-right-photoshop pictures-LOL…The top and bottom pictures-beautiful!
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Thank you for your kind comments Robbie. I love our Irish coastline and hope to share more photos as the year progresses.:)
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Goodie-I love eye candy!!!
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even the dead fish was beautiful!
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So glad to have found your blog! We used to call Sea Potatoes ‘Holy Mary shells’ when we were children. We rarely came across them but when we did, it really was an exciting find.
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What a great name! I love these old local names. My mother calls cuckcoo flowers Hail Mary’s which I think is just a local name to us.
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