You may have noticed, I love the beach.  There is nothing like a long walk on the beach to clear my mind, relax my body, and stimulate my thinking.  And I take lots of photographs…many of nature’s beautiful handiwork.

On Sunday, instead of a focus on wildlife or other natural features, I found myself focused on the people at the beach and the diversity of activities they were engaged in.  In spite of the unexpected rain early in the day, the beach was full of people.  It was warm and humid…and by mid afternoon the sun shone brightly.

I noticed these two girls sitting near the cliffs…checking their phones.  I couldn’t resist a shot!

As we headed further down the beach, I noticed these spear fisherman putting on their gear to head out into the surf.

And not far from them divers had their equipment spread out on the rocks as they chatted about their upcoming dive.

There was lots of activity out in the water too, surfers and paddle boarders, body boarders, and swimmers.  And some people sitting out on the rocks watching the activity or just gazing out into the sea.

And not everyone was into water sports.  This pair cruised by on their bicycles, taking advantage of the packed sand of the low tide.

And this couple was simply enjoying a walk on the beach, walking hand in hand, and then stopping for this selfie with the ocean as backdrop.

Still others settled themselves near the water’s edge for a shore-side picnic.

People come and go at the beach.  This couple finished surfing, hefted their boards and headed back down the beach toward the parking lot.

And of course, there were lots of kids on the beach playing in the waves, digging in the sand, and creating elaborate sandcastles.

And some of the kids haven’t been born yet…there are always pregnant women on the beach.

As we finished several miles of walking on the beach, we headed back toward the parking lot…stopping off at the showers to rinse the sand from our feet.  The showers are another popular place as moms wash babies and people stand under the fresh water showers before heading for their cars and homes.

As I paid attention to people on the beach, I became more aware of the variety of activities they engaged in…and there were so many more people not represented by this small selection of photos.  Taking pictures of people was a very different experience than taking pictures of nature.  I found myself creating stories about them, paying attention to their movements, their interactions, their equipment…  I watched teenaged boys tossing a football, a fisherman chatting with a friend, two little boys with flotation devices braving the waves, a little girl with a container picking up shells as her parents trailed behind…

Sunday’s beachwalk was a different kind of learning walk for me, with people as my focus.  The beach is definitely a playground with many things for people to do.