Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
Thursday 17 May 2018

For turtles nesting on Aruba, Eagle Beach is actually ‘Macho Beach’!

As more turtle nesting sites sand dunes and beaches.
are rising in temperatures Together with the volun-
this means that male turtles teers from TurtugAruba
will become rarer, as the they urge visitors as well as
colder nesting sites dimin- locals to keep an eye out
By Luis Anibal Villegas the help of the minister of regards to turtles. As more ish in quantity. According and think about the turtles
ORANJESTAD- While it is spatial development, infra- and more oceans become to Mrs. van der Wal, Aruba and our island’s environ-
widely known that Aruba structure and environment warmer through climate has been known to give ment in general when vis-
receives many tourists ev- to spread awareness on change, Aruba’s shores shelter and help give birth iting our beaches or any
ery year that come for the the importance of caring have remained consistently to many male turtles, which other nature area.
white sandy beaches and for the environment and cold enough to make a dif- is something coveted al-
the warm weather, as well particularly for these spe- ference for turtle species in ready in the region, from This writer would ask of our
as people, there are visi- cial air breathing sea crea- the region and around the what other environmental readers additionally to
tors that find their way to tures. world. organisations have said in spread the word of how
Aruba’s shores in hopes conferences. important it is to respect
to spread the most pre- Fewer male turtles because This has to do with the way turtles on Aruba, especially
cious gift: life. 4 species of of climate change that turtles reproduce, Mrs. Infamous sand tracks seeing Aruba’s important
turtle, or ‘turtuga’ as is their Edith and Richard van der van der Wal told us recently. While these turtles are cer- role for helping a large
namesake in our local cre- Wal during a press confer- Unlike humans, turtles have tainly important, the minis- amount of male turtles find
ole language Papiamento ence this week along with no predetermined sex be- ter through the new local their way in this world.
have been visiting our is- the minister, mentioned fore birth. What determines platform InfrAruba (where
land for many ages, yet a a fact often overlooked if they will become female citizens can report distur- Finally, like Mrs. van der Wal
local organisation is hoping about the shelled travel- or male is whether the tem- bances in nature or in in- mentioned humorously,
to spread the message of ers and their relation to our perature of where they’re frastructure) has noticed next time you find yourself
respect for these often shy island. While around the born is above (warmer) or many violations of the on Eagle Beach, remeber
creatures. world climates are chang- below (colder), than a cer- public beach law, which that Eagle Beach is ‘Macho
ing, with that changing tain threshold. outlaws driving vehicles on Beach’!q
Every year around this time climate come changes for
in May, the many people all the animals on Earth,
from all over the world that including us humans. But
visit Aruba will notice bar- while this may mean for
ricades springing up by most land creatures that
several beaches. These they are under threat of
barricades, set up by the diminishing space for their
public works department, existence, this does not rule
form protection for the out that sea creatures also
turtle eggs layed by our face struggles.
visiting reptile friends. Eggs
which more and more are Funnily enough, while most
under duress by the devel- tourists might come to Aru-
opments on the island. ba for the warmth, what
makes Aruba attractive for
While in the middle of the species of turtle that vis-
Leatherback nesting sea- it seasonally to reproduce is
son, the foundation Tur- precisely the opposite: the
tugAruba, an amalgam cold. This cold is precisely
of turtle and Aruba, have why Aruba is playing an
set forth a campaign with important role globally with