I sat on the beach at Shoal Bay East one day this week. I don’t often get the time to do this but we have had guests staying with us and so I have visited more often of late.

The sea was a beautiful turquoise; the blue sky was dotted with white fluffy clouds. Perfect!

Shoal Bay Beach

We all like people watching, don’t we? We say we’re not interested in how other people look in their swim wear but, secretly, we are eyeing each other up. “Wow, what a great body,” we think appreciatively to ourselves with a grin as Hunky Hector strides by, muscles rippling. Sometimes we are outraged or amused, “She should NOT be wearing that,” we think, blinking. “How did she get into it?” we marvel. “Why did he bother with that, it leaves nothing to the imagination!” we wonder. Yes, these thoughts and more all zoom through our heads as we sit, apparently unconcerned, as Two Ton Tess thunders along in her little yellow polka dot bikini accompanied by String Bean Sid, in the latest, tightest, pinkest Lycra thong.

Everyone walks the beach. It is THE thing to do. Some walk boldly and swiftly, determined to get a good workout or, perhaps, they want to get the ritual of being stared at by hundreds of pairs of eyes over with as soon as possible. Others saunter along simply enjoying, which is exactly how it should be if you have paid hefty amounts to come to Anguilla from the other side of the world.

The beach was packed with visitors. It is always easy to spot particular nationalities I find. Americans can be heard from afar, while the French are the best dressed, or should I say, undressed. The Brits are the palest and most self conscious on the beach, reflecting the limited opportunities the British climate gives them for stripping off, whilst the Italians seem to be the merriest and laugh the most.

There are the old and the young, the last naked without a care, and all ages in between. The elderly gentleman walking with a cane, helping his wife mount the steep step up out of the water onto the beach, the children building sandcastles or digging holes, the sun worshipers glistening wetly in the sun as they perfect, or in the case of the Brits, start tans to take home as proof of a good holiday.

Everyone has a camera. Shoal Bay is beautiful and must be the subject of thousands of photographs each year. Its white sands, turquoise waters and wonderful sunsets all combine to make an image everyone wants to capture and take home, if only to dazzle their less fortunate friends.

Sunset over the water Shoal Bay

The Pelicans and Boobies dive for fish which can often be glimpsed from the shore. The Pelican looks very ungainly on land but once he takes off he is poetry in motion, particularly when he dives for food, straight as an arrow, hitting the water with a splash.

I am always a bit worried for snorkelers in Shoal Bay. Those like my brother, who is fascinated by the subterranean life he sees, often end up further out than they should be and I am concerned that speeding power boats will not see them in the water. Today though, there are no boats thrusting through the waves so I can relax, sit back and write in peace…

Until the beach peddler comes along. I hardly ever bring much in the way of money to the beach so peddlers do not get far with me. It must be a demoralizing way to earn a living. Trudging up and down the beach carrying your merchandise, being rejected and developing a thick skin as you go, whilst always keeping a fixed smile on your face to greet a new punter. It must be hot work too. They seem to wear such a lot of clothes for their place of work! Of course this makes it easy to spot them coming along the beach towards you and, if you are so minded, easy to avoid!

I am struck by the number of beach umbrellas and sun loungers there are on the beach these days. I say this whilst perched on one of them. I remember when we first arrived on Anguilla, in May 2005, that there did not seem to be as many. They have multiplied as rapidly as rabbits do! Whilst I can understand why the businesses fronting the beach set them out, they are after all out to make a living and these facilities earn money, I do wonder about the territorial nature of the thinking behind the loungers. They are slowly taking over a public beach. It is rather as if each individual company is staking a claim to ‘its’ part of the beach by planting the loungers outside their premises. I hope these seas of coloured plastic and canvas are not putting off the local population. On the beach today there are very few local people, although I have to admit it is a working day. I do hope though that the steady march of tourism is not turning away the local population from Shoal Bay.

I wonder what the coming development, by the public access road, will do to Shoal Bay too. There will certainly be more people watching happening!
I push all of these thoughts to one side as I see a gentleman coming along the beach holding a piece of coral. He is the same person I heard make mention of standing on the reef earlier in the afternoon. I pointed out to him then that the bay is a marine park and that no one should be setting foot on the reef. He solemnly assured me that he knew this and would not do so as it would damage it. I wonder how he got his piece of coral.

As the afternoon draws on people slowly drift away. Shadows grow longer and the beach becomes peaceful once again.

Sunset over the water Shoal Bay

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