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local Friday 4 april 2025
Aruba’s Bocas: home to the rarest fossil reefs on the planet!

like hurricanes and tsuna- These findings can certainly This research is also im-
mis. put things into perspective. portant for the future of
The ground on which we coral reefs on the island.
Through underwater and have walked many times By studying rising sea lev-
land surveillance, and 3D in the northern part of the els and climate impact on
models of the reefs, they island hold such rich history, these coral reefs, we are
were able to narrow down history that dates back to able to take concrete ac-
when these formations a time that most of us can- tion in protecting and pre-
started to take place. They not even imagine. As the serving our coral reefs. So, if
were also able to track the scientists themselves have you are ever visiting one of
fluctuation of sea levels pointed out, these fossilized the bocas or driving along
during the past hundred or reefs on the windward side the northern part of the is-
even thousands of years, are truly an incredible and land, please be conscious
and the effects that this rare remnant of geologi- to help protect our natu-
fluctuation has had on the cal history, as they provide ral historical remnant. Oh,
coral reefs of the windward a clear view of how these and wear (coral-friendly)
side of Aruba. reefs have formed. sunscreen!q
(Oranjestad)—If you’ve faculty at the University of
been to the northern coast Bremen, Prof. dr. Alessio
of Aruba already, you’ve Rovere from the Ca' Fosc-
probably noticed how the ari University of Venice and
ground differs entirely from Prof. dr. Gianfranco Scic-
the sandy beaches on the chitano, from the University
southern part of the island. of Bari Aldo Moro, present-
These hard surfaces, with ed their research on these
sharp bumps and holes fossilized coral reefs at the
are actually fossilized coral University of Aruba. Their
reefs, of which its growth focus for their research in-
and changes can be cluded studying the health
traced back to the last gla- and formation patterns of
cial period. these coral reefs, and to
investigate how these reefs
On May 30 2023, geosci- have responded and can
entists, Dr. Patrick Boyden respond to fluctuating sea
from the Marum research levels or extreme weather,

Enjoy one of the best views on Aruba at the top of the Hooiberg Hill

(Oranjestad)—If you are a regu-
lar hiker, or maybe want to spice
up your morning work out session,
then you might enjoy one of the
most popular climbing sites on the
island: The Hooiberg Hill. Accom-
panied with a 600-step staircase,
this hill overlooks a great part of
the island, the Caribbean sea, and
sometimes even the Santa Anna
mountain located in the coastal
state of Falcon in Venezuela, pro-
viding one of the best views you Hill is the second highest point on cated in the Arikok National Park.
can get on Aruba. the island at 165 meters above sea The staircase that run on the side of
level (or about 540 feet above sea the hill was first built in 1951, when
located at the center district of the level). The highest point is Jamano- Mr. Eduardo Tromp constructed it.
island, Santa Cruz, the Hooiberg ta Hill at 189 meters (620 feet), lo- At that time, the staircase consist-
ed of 900 steps. Over time, as the
steps faced erosion, the govern-
ment decided to renovate these
stairs in 1991. This new project de-
livered the newer staircase with
only 587 steps. However, don’t be
fooled—it may still be a work out to
get on top. In addition, there is now
a gazebo placed halfway up the
stair for a little rest. The view at this
resting stop is also a sight to see.

The best time to climb the hill would
be early in the morning or right be-
fore sunset, as it may not be as hot.
However, the hill is of course open
all day, every day. q