。
She was standing there, gazing toward the sea.
Literal
She [topic-は] sea [of-の] direction [object-を] watch [while-ながら] standing was.
~ながら attaches a simultaneous action to the main verb: V-stem + ながら + main-verb means 'do main-verb while V-ing.' The ~ながら-clause is the backgrounded action and the main verb is the foregrounded one — so here standing is the main posture and the gazing is the accompanying activity. 海の方 ('the direction of the sea') is a soft way to point: 方 ('direction, side') turns a destination into something more atmospheric, less precise. Past progressive 立っていた ('was standing') paints a still scene held over time — perfect for a contemplative moment by the shore.