I met my first sea urchins in Frenchman’s Bay, St. Thomas, USVI when I was eight years old. What a delightfully scary sight they were, with long, black needles undulating in time with tide and current, tempting me to touch them, waiting patiently to stick me.

But even back then, I showed healthy respect for those needles. I learned that if you stepped on a sea urchin and were stuck, the needles were painful, they broke off under your skin, and they were the absolute devil to remove. Several of our dogs wandered too close, and their yelps kept me on the defensive toward the black, spiny sea urchins as I clambered over rocks along the shore.

I was surprised to learn there was another type of sea urchin. It had short needles and preferred living in shallow seaweed beds off the beach. Rest assured, I didn’t step on them, either. 

So, as you snorkel on your Caribbean holiday, enjoy the sea urchins’ dangerous beauty, but stay safely away.