There are many beaches in the municipality of Inarajan, but two in particular that are noted by our guides. Both of these are black-sand beaches at the rear of bays, where stream water coming down from the mountain tends to make for silty conditions.

"The beach at Inarajan," Bill exclaims, "that’s where I learned how to swim. My gosh, my brothers and sisters, we all learned how to swim because we were at the beach all the time. We were with other kids and one thing I loved, I longed for that low tide during the day. I wanted to go out there, and there’s one spot that’s about ten feet deep, towards the land area. We’d get in there and really have a nice time.

"You know, we worked, and especially during the summer, I looked forward to the summers when we were there to plant sweet potatoes. By midday already the sun was so hot, so we had the excuse to be out there in the water, it would give us an incentive. I would have certain area to do in the sweet potatoes, and my brothers and sisters and our friends, there are other family members, extended family. Our parents would say 'Nobody goes out there until your job is done'."

“Oh, no, I don’t swim in Inarajan Bay" Therese says. ”I usually swim in the pool or down near Bear Rock. I didn’t swim in this bay, I guess because of all the erosion. Often times when it rains hard, the waters are so brown because of the sediment that comes down from the mountains. So, I’m not interested in swimming over here.

" I like swimming where I can’t touch ground, and I want to float up in the water, I don’t want to sit down and touch silt and dirt and mud. I never was interested in swimming in this bay. As usual I used the pool or down near Bear Rock. Agfåyan Bay has the same silt problem as Inarajan Bay. Especially after a good rain, the whole bay is brown from all the mud that comes down."

The Salaglula pools function as a significant swimming and recreation area. Therese explains, "the pools were originally natural pools. My grandfather was one of the men who built a concrete wall around to enclose it, so that it was easier for people to go swimming in it.

"I know it was a lot deeper than it is now. I think it went down 40 to 50 feet into the center. Unfortunately, because of Typhoon Omar or Typhoon Paka, it’s not so deep anymore. Above the pool there used to be a pavilion, a concrete pavilion, as well as a stair going up."

Remains of the bridge and steps that once led to a pavilion atop this small island.

"During the typhoon the stair was destroyed and the pavilion -- a concrete pavilion -- collapsed and went into the pool. Now it’s in pieces in the middle of the pool. That’s the reason why the the pool is not so deep anymore. It’s still okay to swim in, it’s just not deep enough anymore. The people still go diving. They jump off and I say, 'I hope they dive feet first instead of head first.' But I guess it’s still deep enough that you can dive. There used to be a diving board out but, I don’t know what happened to that board. As the years go it rusts and the board comes down and nobody wants to put it back up again."

"Actually, the Inarajan swimming pool had a few 'face lifts.' It’s had pavilions there, and then the typhoon comes and moves pavilions, destroys them and then it’s rebuilt but, in a different way. So, it’s been redesigned a certain way. It use to be paved where the parking area is. Then the typhoon came and took the pavement up, and so there’s no pavement now. That’s Inarajan pool."

These pools are perched on the reef platform, making swimming only one of the activities that take place on the reef.