Page 14 - AHATA

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local Monday 30 June 2025

Another Treasure of Aruba’s Beaches: Sea Glass!

drink” bottles.

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