Page 11 - HOH

Tuesday 25 april 2023 locAl
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National Park Arikok: Aruba’s biggest nature conservation

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