Page 16 - AB

A7
LOCAL Monday 31 March 2025

Aruba to me

ORANJESTAD — You are Complete the sentence: and we will publish your vacation memory.
back and we would like to Aruba to me is ……. Send Isn’t that a special way to keep your best
portrait you! By inviting you your picture with that text moments alive? Please do note: By sub-
to send us your favorite va- (including your name and mitting photos, text or any other materials,
cation picture while enjoy- where you are from) to: you give permission to The Aruba Today
ing our Happy Island. news@arubatoday.com Newspaper, Caribbean Speed Printers
and any of its affiliated companies to use
Planning on snorkeling? said materials, as well as names, likeness,
etc. for promotional purposes without
Get to know our “Dorado” compensation.
Last but not least: check out our website,
(Oranjestad)—If you’re ever sumption and it is also com- Instagram and Facebook page! Thank
planning on snorkeling dur- mercially fished for that rea- you for supporting our free newspaper, we
ing your vacation on Aruba, son. They grow very fast, up strive to make you a happy reader every
you may spot fish that you to 2.7 inches (almost 7 cm) day again.
can’t recognize. One of per week. They can live up For today we received a lovely message
these may be the “Dorado”, to a maximum of 5 years al- from Lori Grossetti from New Jersey, USA.
a common fish that swims though very few reach that
all year long in the waters age. Most become adults She wrote to us saying: “Aruba to me is re-
of Aruba. Here’s some infor- within 1 year but many be- connecting with family since we are all so
mation about the beloved come reproductive after busy with work, school and extracurricu-
Dorado. just 5 or 6 months and repro- lars!”
duce very quickly too.
Dorado has many different They live in open water on Thank you for sending us this wonderful
names it can be referred the surface most of the message sharing what Aruba means to
to. Dral, Dorao, Drals, Dra- time. Many fish seek them you with us and our readers!q
do, are some of them in around sushi lines or floating
Papiamento. In English, it objects on the sea. Often
is also called Mahi Mahi, you will find a group landing
Dolphinfish, or Dorado. It's together and if you keep a
a good example to reflect male on the line, often the
on why there can be many others will stay close or can
names. The same fish be- keep the group interested
comes known by different by giving shrimp or squid.
common names, why?
Common names come only Description:
when a group of people, to Dorado has a distinctive
understand each other, as- body. It has a large tail and
sign a name to a fish. Mahi its long, flat body ends in a
Mahi, for example, comes large blunt head. Its color
from Hawaii and means of yellow and green or blue
"very strong". Dorado is makes it immediately rec-
based on Spanish and re- ognizable, even with small
fers to the golden yellow variations in these colors.
color that the fish shines Dorado has clear differenc-
with under the sun. Why it's es between adult females
called Dolphinfish in Eng- and males. The male is
lish is not well defined and larger and can easily reach
while there are several sto- 50 to 80 pounds and has a
ries around this, none have much flatter head com-
been confirmed. pared to the female. There-
Dorado is found in all tropi- fore, male Dorados are also
cal to subtropical oceans called "bull Dorado".
around the world. Dorado Dorado can be found in our
is very popular both for waters around the island all
recreational fishing and for year round, but there are
consumption. It is known periods when it is easier to
among fishermen as an ex- find than others. q
citing catch and a fish that
puts up a good fight. Its Source: The Department of
meat is very good for con- Agriculture, Livestock, and
Fisheries (Santa Rosa).