Page 10 - HOH

A9
LOCAL Monday 9 May 2022

Another Treasure of Aruba’s Beaches: Sea Glass!

NOORD - It is hard to imag- of the island. Make it a fun
ine this happening today, family day and game of
but years ago people ‘spot the sea glass’!
dumped all kinds of refuse
straight into the ocean, Even if we didn’t mean to
including old cars, and pollute the Beaches how
their household garbage, we did, it is inspiring to see
which of course included just how the earth can cor-
lots of glass. Over the next rect our mistakes. Funny,
30 years the pounding how trash can change into
waves cleaned the beach, treasures!
by breaking down every-
thing but glass and pot- Everybody knows that you
tery. The pounding waves are not allowed to take
washed the trash up and local shells home, but the
down, back and forth. Tons people working at the air-
of polished, broken glass port have no problem with
pieces were created by you taking sea glass home.
the pounding surf. These A few of those pieces make
smoothened, colored glass great souvenirs. You can
particles then settled along place them in a wine glass
the sea shore in millions, or large bottle for decora-
and that is why you can through fire, it becomes fire glass which were the soft glass for yourself, and be tion and every time you
find these beautiful and glass, the rarest of sea glass much loved “soft drink” in awe of the power of na- look at it a smile will light up
colorful pieces on the north with certain inclusions, just bottles. ture, rent a car or jeep and your face thinking back of
shore beaches of Aruba. like precious gems. go explore our deserted your unforgettable Aruba
If you like to see the sea beaches on the north side vacation!q
Especially on the strip on For years, the water beat
white sand between the against the different kinds
famous Natural Bridge” of trash being dumped.
and the huge red an- Glass, household appli-
chor close to “Grapefield” ances and even motor
beach you will be able to parts were discarded on
find your own pieces of sea the beach. The waves and
glass. The sea glass that weather conditions wore
was created is the product down the overwhelming
of a very long and interest- amount of garbage in the
ing process. water, creating millions of
beautiful smooth rocks. It’s
It can take anywhere from hard to believe the short-
10 to 30 years to make sea sighted mistakes we were
glass. making that could have
potentially ruined these
The name for any piece beautiful beaches. But
of glass that finds its way thanks to natural process-
to the ocean and tumbles es, the ocean transformed
around in the water long the trash into the sea glass.
enough is “Sea glass. The Each colored gem on the
colorful pieces of glass are beach has its own story.
being used for decoration,
handcrafts and jewelry! The ruby red glass stones
are typically from old car
Once glass makes its way tail-lights.
into the ocean, the glass is Then, the sapphire rocks
broken up into shards and were the remnants of bro-
is tumbled around in the ken apothecary bottles.
water, where sand and The most common and
other rocks act like sand- the easiest to find are the
paper to smooth out its brown (Amstel & Polar
rough edges. Sometimes beer), green (Heineken
as the sea glass is passed & Balashi beer) and clear