When the tide goes out in Friwen, the beach reveals a different world.
One afternoon, I joined several children from the village to look for clams along the shoreline of Friwen Island, Raja Ampat. With the sea slowly retreating, small pools of water, rocks, sand, and coral flats appeared before us. For the children, this was not a special activity—it was simply part of everyday life.
We walked along the beach, carefully looking for signs of clams hidden beneath the wet sand. The children showed me where to look and how to dig them out without damaging the surrounding area. What seemed like a simple walk on the beach became an enjoyable lesson about nature, traditional knowledge, and the relationship between the community and the sea.
There was something special about seeing the children confidently moving along the shoreline. They knew the beach not just as a place to play, but as a source of food and part of their daily life.
After collecting enough clams, we brought them back to the village. That evening, the clams we had gathered together became our dinner.
Sitting together and enjoying food that we had collected from the sea that same afternoon was a simple but memorable experience. It reminded me that in Friwen, the ocean is not only a beautiful landscape for visitors—it is also an important part of the community's life, culture, and food.
Sometimes, the best way to understand a place is not by looking at it, but by experiencing how the people who live there interact with it.