Luis Sablan and his son Raymund Vincent went fishing at Micro Beach on Friday morning, while brothers Jack and Noning Peredo took a plunge at the whirling waters of Sugar Dock.
These were among the scenes on the island as typhoon Chataan pummeled the Marianas on Friday and as disaster and emergency teams conducted round-the-clock monitoring of typhoon-related incidents.
Chataan caused considerable damages on Guam and Rota, but on Saipan the strong winds, heavy rainfall and large ocean swells failed to dampen the adventurous spirits of some residents and tourists.
“This is the best time for us to go fishing,” Luis Sablan told Variety. His 3-year-old son, Raymund Vincent, helped him catch small fish locally known as “ie’.”
“It is a good day,” 25-year-old Jack Peredo chuckled.
His younger brother, Noning, 18, challenged him to brave the strong currents by diving from the concrete shed at Sugar Dock.
The Peredo brothers did a couple of dives into the waters that were approximately about 30 feet deep.
The two were not alone. Couple Kim Youn Min and Kim Jae Hong and their friend Kim Mi Hee also went fishing at Sugar Dock. (See more related photos)
Just as Chataan intensified past 9 a.m. on Friday, Banzai Cliff was visited by several tourists who wanted to see the large waves crashing into the cliffline.
However, the typhoon also destroyed some of the island’s tourist spots.
The Carolinian Village site, Arabwal or Piyat Oolang, called the “Beach View of the Sky,” fronting Micro Beach almost collapsed due to the strong winds.
The hut built by the commonwealth government depicts how a group of Carolinians settled on Saipan after a typhoon devastated their homes in 1815.
At least six large pine trees and several coconut and banana trees were uprooted at Micro Beach.
Several of Beach Road’s famous flame trees did not also escape the fury of Chataan.
