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Weather:
Aruba is perfect if you are looking for a truly sun filled
vacation. On very rare occasions only does it not
shine. Since Aruba is so close to the equator, the sun is very
bright. Luckily, Aruba is always cooled by a pleasant see
breeze. This wind makes it sometimes feel a bit cooler than it
really is. Therefore you should always be very careful in the
sun and use a high factor of sun block. The average yearly
temperature is a sunny 81°F or 27°C. Thankfully, Aruba is out
of the range of the Caribbean hurricanes.
Nature:
Aruba has a rare collection of its own distinctive creatures
that reside on or about the island. The island itself is very
dry and plants you most frequently see are for example
cactuses, aloe vera plants and divi-divi trees (that are
shaped beautifully by the wind). Not until just recently did
we begin to more carefully protect the species that reside in
Aruba.
One of these distinctive creatures is the tiny shoco (owl) of
the burrowing genre. Besides being seen at different spots
around the island, it is now living in splendor at the Tierra
del Sol golf course where the construction of the golf course
was re-routed to protect its habitat. Their population has
reached a good number of actively breeding couples. They move
their homes often to keep predators away and have unlimited
options because the golf course structure features rocks,
hillocks, plant life, sand and grass. Maintenance staffs are
instructed to rake around the nests that are often found in
the bunkers.
Aruba is
also the site for endangered mammoth sea turtles and annually
they travel thousands of miles from the sea to lay their eggs
on our beaches. From March to August the hawksbill (caret),
green turtle (tortugo blanco), loggerhead (cawama) and the
largest of all sea turtles, the leatherback (driekiel) perform
the eons-old ritual as these magnificent creatures crawl
slowly from the water onto several beaches which include Eagle
Beach, Palm Beach and Andicuri, to deposit their eggs and
return to sea. The hatchlings instinctively return to the sea
and at maturity, which is about 30 years, return to the island
of their birth. It is essential and against the law that the
ritual not be disturbed by shining lights on the turtles or in
any way disrupt their passage; and it is strictly forbidden to
remove the eggs from their nests.
In 1997, a
foundation was established to save the wild donkey population
on the island from extinction. A 20,000 square meter piece of
land has been made available to them, but plans are that they
eventually will be returned to the Arikok National Park. The
existence of the shy and defenseless creatures have been
documented in the early 1940 when the population was down to
about 500 and in 1979 it reached an all time low. n educating
the community against careless car accidents or other attacks
against the animals, and with donations for food, water and a
safe haven, the donkey families will prosper. |
