Island excursion and finding out what a sea urchin looks like

There are a few islands within view of the Dakar shores--Gorée, Ngor, and Madeleine. Saturday we visited the uninhabitated island of Madeleine just a 10-minute boat ride from here. It rises out of a gracious rock formation and at the top turns into hilly green before making room for a little patch of baobabs. The rocks drop down to form a small enclave in the center which fills with water as the waves break over the distant side and slowly seep into the pool. It's calm and serene and the blue green of the sea is a surprise after the dirtier parts of the ocean close to Dakar.

But it wasn't this picturesque pool that captured my attention; I discovered sea urchins. The conversation went like this:

Friend: "Watch out there's lots of sea urchins up here."
Me, while hopping up and down: "Ohmygod! Where? What do they look like? Is this a sea urchin?"
Friend: "No that's coral."
Me: "Are they everywhere? Why can't I see them?"
Friend: "No, they're just in the standing pools of water."

And finally I spotted the prickly little black things lounging in the crevices. And thankfully I could stop jumping around worried I would step on poisonous spiky oceansomeTHINGs. And that's what I mean about being a prairie girl at heart, at least there, the only things I was ever told to look out for were rattle snakes and buffalo.

But I loved even for a few moments feeling like I was alone. I hiked to the north side of the island and ran from the waves crashing over the rocks, and later just sat and stared sitting in my bathing suit not being hassled for the first time in a very long time.

The enclave.

The waves rushing in and rushing back out again.

The white on the rocks is bird poop. The birds were apparently out fishing while we were there.

Here they are! The sea urchin extravaganza!

Believe me, this isn't all the pictures. But these are the best.