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Friday 7 February 2025 locAl
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Place names in San Nicolas and their origins

(Oranjestad)--If you’re ever taking area was named after him.
a tour of Aruba, San Nicolas would
definitely be on your itinerary. San Nicolas
From relaxing on the white, san- Of course we can’t forget San
dy beaches of Baby and Roger’s Nicolas itself. Much like Vader Piet,
Beach, to exploring the prehistoric the origin of the name San Nicolas
caves of Quadirikiri and Fontein, has so far two different accounts.
you are taking in a full view of what In the literal sense, “San Nicolas”
San Nicolas has to offer. But did translates to “Saint Nicolas”, lead-
you know that you are also passing ing many to believe that this district
through areas whose names have was named after a Spanish saint.
historical origins? Here are a few Though one account does support
place names in San Nicolas and this with the theory that the district
their origin story. was named after the saint by Span-
ish colonizers, the other account is
Sero Colorado much less divine, but does refer to
On your way to Baby or Roger’s an influential figure in the area.
Beach, you’ll pass by the famous
Red Anchor at what was once the Nicolaas van der Biest was a suc-
entrance to the Colony residential finery at the time, Lago, adopted pened. cessful landowner during the time
community and be greeted with this name for the residential section of the phosphate boom in late
red soiled hills by the coast. This is of its employees. In 1829, Pieter Lampe was a plant- 19th century Aruba. Back then,
Sero Colorado. Named after the er and the person responsible for landowners (most, if not all of
30-meter, deep red, limestone hill, Vader Piet governing this remote area. As the them men) were referred to as
“Sero Colorado” translates to “Col- Another well visited area, Vader story goes, Pieter was well known “Shon” by their subordinates. So,
ored Hill”. Sero Colorado has deep Piet is located in the Arikok Na- and beloved for his kindness and the district was originally named
historical ties with the once-thriving tional Park. Recognizable sites good treatment of his employees, after Shon Nicolaas. Over time, the
phosphate industry in the area. within this area includes the Wind and was therefore also called Va- name evolved into what is now
Matter of fact, there are still under- Mills and the Quadirikiri Cave. The der Piet (Father Piet). However, he San Nicolas.q
ground shafts and passages deep origin of this name is part historical was tragically murdered—some
in Sero Colorado from the time of and speculation, as there are slight speculate at the hands of a slave. Source: “Aruba: Short History” by Dr. J.
phosphate mining. In 1958, the re- deviations from what actually hap- For his work and good heart, the Hartog

The Lionfish

And its threat to our marine wild life

(Oranjestad)—Despite its said that the sting of a lion- continue to reproduce and
colorful and striking ap- fish can be up to 100 times expand to other parts of the
pearance, the lionfish has more painful than that of a Atlantic, become more inva-
become a Caribbean-wide bee’s sting. sive and dangerous for other
problem for Atlantic sea life. types of fish.
The Aruban marine wild life is Its natural predators in the
also affected by this beautiful Indo-Pacific are sharks and For Aruba, the lionfish is a
dilemma, as it is foreign to barracudas, but in the Carib- problem especially for our
our waters and has become bean Sea, local fish do not local coral reefs. Accord-
a danger to our local fish and recognize the lionfish as part ing to Patrick van Brakel, li-
reefs. of their diet. In other words, onfish expert and hunter from
the lionfish has no predators the Hunting Lionfish Aruba
Originating from the Indo- in the Caribbean Sea. And foundation, every reef has
Pacific Ocean, the lionfish is this becomes a major prob- a “cleaning station”—tiny
a relatively small fish. It has lem for our local marine life; fish that eat algae and other
no teeth, but it does protect if there are no predators to types of waste on a reef, thus
itself against predators using stimulate population con- maintaining the reef’s health keep, they were let out into jewelry making.
its sharp, colorful spikes. It is trol of lionfish, these fish can and providing food to the fish the ocean to roam free. From
population in the area. How- continental USA, the lionfish They are caught with a
ever, as the lionfish feeds off travelled to and invaded the hand spear, an object re-
of these tiny fish, it becomes entire Caribbean area, from sembling a garbage picker
harder for the coral reef to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao with 4 sharp prongs. These
maintain its health. up to New York. In Aruba, spears are used like a sling
lionfish were discovered in shot to catch lionfish from a
Patrick also shares the origins 2009. distance. These fish are then
of lionfish in the Caribbean put into a collecting tube
Sea. It is theorized that the in- Controlling the lionfish popu- and taken out of the water.
troduction of these fish in the lation is challenge, as each Van Brakel not only catches
Atlantic happened in Florida, female fish can lay up to them himself, but also cooks
where people would buy li- 40,000 eggs a day. Luckily, them for locals and tourists at
onfish from across the world we have people like van The LionFish Snack Aruba in
to keep in their aquariums. Brakel who dedicate their Paradera. This way, he does
However, lionfish grow, and lives hunting and capturing his part in protecting the lo-
as these buyers realized that these invasive species, using cal wild life.q
the fish were too much up- them for consumption and