written by SCOTT WALKER

“Awestruck, I sat and watched them for almost an hour. Camels at the beach!”

blissfully barefoot
Tread lightly
Driving the length of the beach at low tide seemed like a perfect way to spend the afternoon. Rolling along the water’s edge in my 4WD, the waves softly surged up the beach trying to catch the tyres in their grip. Crabs and birds scattered as we cruised by. The radio blared and we thought life was great.

As I slowed to cross a shallow stream flowing back to the sea from a tidal pool, I misjudged the speed required to pass through it and suddenly found my back tires planted in the wet sand. The party was over – a two-hour nightmare began. If it were not for the efforts of my fearless crew and the help of four local fishermen, the car would have been lost.

Several months and a few nightmares later, I returned to this infamous stretch of beach. It runs from Dahariz to Taqah; a 20km jaunt of unspoiled coastline east of Salalah. This time, I decided to walk and soon realised that there is much more to be appreciated on foot than one would ever imagine.

Blissfully barefoot, I began along the wet firm sand constantly massaged by the last gasp of every wave as it reached its furthest point before rapidly receding to recharge for another feigned assault. In a perpetual game of tag with the sea an army of crabs rushed towards the ocean searching for a few delectable treats as the waves pulled back. Some lingered and became engulfed as the tide surged, seemingly oblivious of their own position in the food chain while others beat a hasty retreat. It is a dangerous game, as small sharks that surf in and out with the tidal flow periodically made a frightening appearance.

A sudden commotion on the surface 50m offshore suddenly caught my eye. Darting into the air like aquatic arrows a school of small fish frantically pierced the surface. A moment later, several dolphins rose to catch their breath and then disappeared again to continue their meal. This exchange continued for several minutes until the dolphins had their fill of fish and fun and collectively disappeared under the water.

Abandoning the water’s edge, I wandered up the shell-strewn sand to the top of the beach where the ocean occasionally deposits its unnatural possessions. At this point, where the vegetation ends and the sea only rarely makes a visit, another world of treasures exists. Insects, flowers, lizards and birds abound. Meandering along, I came across the remains of several sea turtle eggs. Did they hatch and make it safely to the sea? Was the nest discovered by a fox or a wild dog? The song of a small bird sitting in a bush abruptly distracted my thoughts of the baby turtles. As I stood and listened to the melodic sound of this beautiful little creature, a herd of camels came into view making their way across the flat plain towards the beach. Awestruck, I sat and watched them for almost an hour. Camels at the beach!

The sun began to make its descent into the sea so I decided to wander back along the water’s edge, marvelling at the golden sheen produced by the reflection of the day’s final rays of light. Returning, I pondered the magical, peaceful, rewarding afternoon that I had just spent alone with the beach and vowed at that moment to never again disfigure its beautiful face with the ugly tracks of my 4WD.