Walk along parts of Senegal’s coast and you may notice something unusual.
Many fishing boats are covered in bright colours, geometric patterns, names and symbols.
These traditional wooden boats are known as pirogues.
They are used by fishing communities across Senegal. However, they are also one of the country’s most recognisable coastal sights.
Senegal’s colourful fishing boats
Pirogues can be seen along the coast from Dakar to towns such as Mbour and Saint-Louis.
Many are painted in bright shades of red, yellow, green and blue.
Some also feature geometric shapes, stars, flags or writing.
Others carry the names of family members or people important to the boat’s owner.
The designs can even include references to football teams and famous players.
As a result, two boats may look completely different even when they serve the same purpose.
Why are the pirogues painted?
The decorations are not simply one standard Senegalese design.
Instead, boat owners and painters can choose designs that give each pirogue its own identity.
Some patterns can also provide clues about where a boat comes from.
Pirogue painter Demba Gaye told AramcoWorld that designs can differ between fishing communities around Dakar.
For example, boats from Yoff may have different designs from those associated with Ngor.
Therefore, the decoration can help make a working fishing boat immediately recognisable.
A tradition linked to fishing communities
Pirogues have been used by fishing communities in Senegal for generations.
Their long and narrow shape helps them travel through Atlantic waves.
Today, many fishing pirogues use outboard motors. However, the traditional wooden form remains common.
In places such as Mbour, hundreds of brightly painted boats can be seen along the coast.
Meanwhile, in Saint-Louis, pirogues remain closely connected to life around the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean.
The city’s traditional pirogue races also bring communities together. Boats are restored and painted in bright colours for the event.
More than just a fishing boat
Fishing remains an important part of life for many communities along Senegal’s coast.
For that reason, the pirogue is much more than a colourful object for visitors to photograph.
It is first a working boat.
However, its decoration can also reflect family, community and personal identity.
That combination has created one of Senegal’s most distinctive coastal sights.
So, the next time you see a photograph of a brightly painted boat on a Senegalese beach, look closely.
The colours may be eye-catching, but every pirogue can have a character of its own.