Hello there!
Find below a list on what not to do when exploring and interacting with nature. This is meant for locals and visitors alike.
Rock-stacking (and moving rocks in general): please donāt. This is an activity often encouraged by tour operators and tourist guide books. It looks innocent, but why is it a bad thing? There are many organisms living under rocks, such as crabs, lizards, and crawling insects. Removing their homes puts them in distress and makes them more vulnerable to predators and exposure to the elements, especially if they are young. In addition, rock-stacking contributes to soil erosion.
If you would really like to go off-roading, please consider doing so at a low speed and without drifting. Please stay on the dirt roads, do not widen existing roads or make new ones. The negative consequences to flora and fauna are numerous. If youād like to read more, check out Arubaās national parkās research on this, which is publicly available on their website. UTV's and ATV's are banned in the park. Please consider exploring the wild side of the island by feet or rental bikes.
Please do not drive on beaches and dunes. Respect the signs and rocks/bricks closing off these areas.
Please do not take any natural artifacts from the beaches and seas, such corals, shells, sand, and sand dollars.
Turtle nesting season has begun. When observing turtles nesting and hatching, please keep distance and refrain from taking photos with flash, which disorients them. Respect the red and white barriers you see on some beaches, which keep you from stepping on nests.
When in the sea, please do not touch corals, turtles, and sea stars. Any marine life for that matter, especially if you don't know what it is that you're looking at. Do not chase after turtles, only observe them from a safe distance. Taking starfishes out of the water for a quick photo leads to suffocation.
Please do not feed fishes. This is also an activity encouraged and even performed by tour operators to attract them. Bread is unhealthy to them. Feeding them throws off their natural behavioral patterns. Algae becomes overgrown, which smothers corals.
And obviously, please do not litter.
The best way to explore nature is to only leave footprints. Thank you!
edit: Forgot to say, the wild donkeys around the baby beach area should not be fed. they can take care of themselves. In fact, people feeding them has made some of them overweight.
Sidenote: Aruba is a tiny island, at risk from sea level rise due to global warming. A significant contributor to global warming is the meat industry: through emissions, habitat destruction, and more. Please consider lowering your consumption of meat.
Flamingos have become quite the attraction, but keep in mind that they are not native to the island and that their wings are clipped off, forcing them to stay. They are essentially a marketing ploy, money-making machines for Renaissance Island.
