Page 10 - aruba-today-20230509

Tuesday 9 May 2023 locAl
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Another Treasure of Aruba’s Beaches: Sea Glass!

NOORD - It is hard to imag- were making that could
ine this happening today, have potentially ruined
but years ago people these beautiful beaches.
dumped all kinds of refuse But thanks to natural pro-
straight into the ocean, cesses, the ocean trans-
including old cars, and formed the trash into the
their household garbage, sea glass. Each colored
which of course included gem on the beach has its
lots of glass. Over the next own story. The ruby red
30 years the pounding glass stones are typically
waves cleaned the beach, from old car tail-lights.
by breaking down every-
thing but glass and pot- Then, the sapphire rocks
tery. The pounding waves are the remnants of bro-
washed the trash up and ken apothecary bottles.
down, back and forth. Tons The most common and
of polished, broken glass the easiest to find are the
pieces were created by brown (Amstel & Polar
the pounding surf. These beer), green (Heineken
smoothened, colored glass & Balashi beer) and clear
particles then settled along glass which are the soft
the sea shore in millions, much loved “soft drink”
and that is why you can bottles. If you like to see the
find these beautiful and sea glass for yourself, and
colorful pieces on the north be in awe of the power of
shore beaches of Aruba. nature, rent a car or jeep
and go explore our desert-
Especially on the strip on ed beaches on the north
white sand between the fa- side of the island. Make it a
mous Natural Bridge” and fun family day!
the huge red anchor close
to “Grapefield” beach you Even if we didn’t mean to
will be able to find your own pollute the Beaches how
pieces of sea glass. The sea we did, it is inspiring to see
glass that was created is just how the earth can cor-
the product of a very long rect our mistakes.
and interesting process. It Funny, how trash can
can take anywhere from change into treasures!
10 to 30 years to make sea Everybody knows that you
glass. The name for any tion, handcrafts and jew- rocks act like sandpaper to gems.For years, the wa- are not allowed to take
piece of glass that finds its elry! smooth out its rough edges. ter beat against the dif- local shells home, but the
way to the ocean and tum- Once glass makes its way Sometimes as the sea glass ferent kinds of trash being people working at the air-
bles around in the water into the ocean, the glass is is passed through fire, it be- dumped. Glass, household port have no problem you
long enough is “Sea glass. broken up into shards and is comes fire glass, the rarest appliances and even mo- taking sea glass home. A
The colorful pieces of glass tumbled around in the wa- of sea glass with certain tor parts were discarded on few of those pieces make
are being used for decora- ter, where sand and other inclusions, just like precious the beach. The waves and great souvenirs. You can
weather conditions wore place them in a wine glass
down the overwhelming or large bottle for decora-
amount of garbage in the tion and every time you
water, creating millions of look at it a smile will light up
beautiful smooth rocks. your face thinking back of
It’s hard to believe the your unforgettable Aruba
short-sighted mistakes we vacation! q