Page 10 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Saturday 8 February 2025

Blackstone Beach

(Oranjestad)—Named after it’s opposite day, visit the
its most recognizable fea- Blackstone Beach.
ture, the Blackstone Beach
almost represents the op- Blackstone Beach shows
posite of the typical Aruban the more natural side of Natural Bridge and Andi- Beach. as the current is very strong
beaches. For one, it has Aruba: the stones that cov- curi Beach, the Blackstone This beach forms part of the and can easily stray you
black sand and is covered er the beaches and the Beach is relatively easy Arikok National Park and is further in the wild ocean.
in black smooth stones. shape of it has been craft- to access. Once you get therefore a site that is pre- However, you can still en-
Secondly, it lies on the ed for thousand years via passed the Ayo Rock For- served. This is why it is also joy a spectacular view of
northern side of the island, volcanic eruptions, coral mation, take the Andicuri relatively untouched by the stones and the northern
away from the white sandy reef movements and wave road leading up to Andicuri commercial influences. De- ocean that stretches out
beaches of in the southern activity of the rural northern Beach. There, you can park spite being called a beach, in front of the beach and
region. So, if you feel up for part of the island. your car and take a 1km do note that it is not ad- take a picture with your
something different—or if Located further east to the hike towards Blackstone vised to swim in the water, friends or family!q

Prohibited by law: leaving the island

with seashells, white sand or corals

(Oranjestad)—Often times, the customs fore leaving. This is surely not a pleasant
department at the airport intercepts many experience for the tourist. This also leads
tourists leaving the island with seashells, to a negative reaction which can put our
white sand and/or corals as souvenirs. tourism in a negative light.
Though we love to accommodate our
Conforming to the international treaty of visitors, let’s all give nature the respect it
CITES and our local law which protects deserves by protecting our environment.
our Flora & Fauna, it is absolutely prohib- Stop collecting seashells, white sand and
ited to take any seashell, sand and coral corals from our shores and stop buying or
outside of Aruba. This is to protect our en- accepting these from local sellers or com-
vironment. The high number of seashells, panies.
coral and amount of sand confiscated is
very strange and it is suspected that our We want our future generations and visitors
own locals are the ones selling these to the to enjoy the beauty of our beaches, shells
tourists, which is unacceptable. and corals in a sustainable way, without
Upon confiscation at the airport, you can destroying or disrupting the Aruban eco-
also face a fine that they have to pay be- system. Help us protect what is ours!q