Hi Schelley! I suspect you may actually be playing VVO2 (Virtual Villagers Origins 2) and not VV2 (Virtual Villagers 2: The Lost Children) as there is no swirling air in VV2. I've attached an image of the beach in both games, VVO2 is on the left. If you are indeed playing VVO2, you may find this thread helpful.

If your game looks different than these 2 examples, it would be great if you could provide a screenshot so we can advise you most effectively.