THE short, rocky pathway that we were following one afternoon a couple of weeks back that was almost hidden by overgrown bushes at the far end of the green golf courses at the Coral Ocean Point resort in Koblerville ended in a small clearing, and the sight of clear blue skies and the vast sea greeted us.
The sea glittered under the hot afternoon sun as I and two buddies surveyed the long stretch of rocky beach. It was my first time to set foot in this beach that I always see from up above every time the plane from Tinian approaches the Saipan airstrip.
The beach was deserted and silent, save for the occasional drone of the planes flying in.
Coral Ocean Point beach is one of those less frequented beaches on the island. The beach can be accessed by passing through the golf courses and we had to borrow two golf carts and walk the short distance to the beach. The beach with its sharp corals and rocky water beds is not that ideal for children and families but on the other hand, adults may find the beach as a romantic getaway, a change from the regular soft, sandy beaches in the other parts of the island.
One good thing about the Coral Ocean Point beach especially for photographers and photo enthusiasts is that there is so much to capture on the lens like the beautiful corals and rocks, small cliffs, spectacular cloud formations, the clear blue waters gently slapping on the shores near the beach or the huge waves crashing on the rocky ledges from the distance.
We saw the remains of a barbeque party at a pit near the rocks and knew that some picnickers had taken advantage of the beautiful beach.
A few meters from where we were, a swimmer braved the heat and went snorkeling around. Snapping a few photos, we packed up to leave the area. I wished we had the luxury of time during that brief visit but we had other appointments and that trek to the beach was actually a side trip, not in our original plan. I would have wanted to stay longer.
If you happen to spend some time at the Coral Ocean Point beach, don’t forget to bring a camera.