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a8 local
Tuesday 4 July 2023

National Park Arikok: Aruba’s biggest nature conservation

The National Park Arikok families that worked the
comprises almost 18 % of land. These families found
the island. Its rugged ter- ways to survive in the dif-
rain, desert-like hills filled ficult conditions, and were
with tall cacti, breathtaking able to erect their homes
coastline and protected with materials found in the
local flora and fauna wel- area. Two of these ado-
come you to be explored. be houses have been re-
There are numerous ani- stored. Park rangers are
mals to discover, for ex- learning many of the old
ample the sea turtle who building techniques in or-
lays his eggs on the park’s der to preserve this unique
beaches. Aruban mud-house. At Cu-
nucu Arikok and near Plan-
The national park Arikok tation Prins you can find
takes you on a memorable these adobe houses.
journey of the islands past on Aruba's beaches? In hatching. Sea turtles pre- the name of the park is de-
offering unique geological, the national park, a Least fer nesting in the cool and rived. Park Management
cultural and historical sites. Tern (Sternula antillarum) dark hours of the night. And For the management of the
These can all be enjoyed keeps a strict eye on a very hatchlings usually wait for The line of the permanently park, a dedicated foun-
and explored either on special event taking place the cue of cooling surface wind-and-wave beaten dation “Fundacion Parke
your own or during guided below on the beach: a sand before emerging. North Coast is broken by Nacional Arikok” (FPNA),
tours. A wide variety of ed- majestic Leatherback (Der- several bays (boca’s). Most known today as the Aruba
ucational and informative mochelys coriacea) heads Nature Conservation of them are small yet im- National Park Foundation
programs and fun activities back to sea after laying her The protected area of Na- pressive inlets at the mouth was established in July 2003.
is available. eggs, while another nest tional Park Arikok was of- of dry riverbeds. Some In February 2017, mangrove
laid 2 months ago by the ficially established in 2000. of these bays (boca’s) and wetland RAMSAR site
Did you know that four of same female hatches— Arikok National Park is a are spectacular sights, #198 Spanish Lagoon was
the in total seven species a very rare occurrence 34 square kilometers (7907 adorned with white, sandy annexed to Arikok National
of sea turtle lay their eggs of daytime nesting and acres) of natural area, lo- beaches and sand dunes, Park due to its importance
cated at the north-eastern as is the case at Boca Prins as a feeding and breeding
part of Aruba which con- and Dos Playa. area for water birds and as
tains examples of most of a nursery area for a variety
the island’s flora and fau- Arikok is also home to Con- of marine organisms. With
na against a backdrop of chi, Aruba’s most impor- this addition, the areas un-
great geological complex- tant natural attraction; also der FPNA management
ity. We are proud to state known as The Natural Pool. increased by 70 hectares
that approximately 18% The journey to the Pool is while the amount of spe-
of the total land area of and adventure by itself and cies of flora and fauna to
Aruba is assigned as a Na- only possible by foot, horse, be conserved to over 250.
tional Park, to protect and ATV or 4×4 vehicle. On December 21st, 2018
preserve the flora, fauna, (AB 2018 no. 77) Parke Ma-
geology and historical re- Cultural and Historical rino Aruba – currently con-
mains present within Arikok components sisting of four marine pro-
National Park. There are a number of sites tected areas (MPAs) – was
within the park that attest officially established and
The Landscape to the history of Aruba. The subsequently brought un-
There is a great geological Caquetío Indians left rock der management of FPNA.
variety within the park. The paintings in Cunucu Arikok In 2019 management plans
main aspects are the rough and Fontein Cave. The bird will be established for the
hills of the volcanic Aruba drawing in the park logo is new MPAs which include:
lava formation, the mysteri- a copy of one of these his- coral reefs, sea grass beds,
ous rocks of the batholithic torical artistic expressions. mangrove systems, a large
quartz-diorite/tonalite, and diversity of breeding sea-
the limestone rocks from Old plantation (Cunucus) birds.
fossilized coral. The two sites tell the story of an ac- Parke Marino Aruba also
tallest hills on the island are tive yet challenging agri- contains potential shark
situated within the park. cultural past. nursery areas, endangered
Jamanota hill 188 meters sea turtle nesting beaches
(617 ft) and Arikok hill 176 These Cunucus were also and marine mammal nurs-
meters (577 ft), from which residential areas for the few ery areas.q