Nature
Nature
Understanding Sand by Susan Campbell Sun, sand, and surf – it’s the holy triumvirate of winter-weary vacationers seeking rejuvenation in tropical climes. And the luxurious sensation of finally digging your bare toes deep into soft, warm sand immediately alerts your senses to the fact that you are officially on vacation! But have you ever considered what constitutes Mother Nature’s natural seaside carpeting?
Though we often take sand for granted, there are scientists called sedimentologists who study it to learn what is happening with the environment. “Sand” is so classified because of the size of its granules, falling somewhere between what’s considered silt and what’s referred to as gravel. And all sand contains a unique geological fingerprint that reflects where it comes from. For beaches, that ranges from the ocean floor to what filters down from higher ground. It’s these elements that determine sand’s color and consistency. Finely crushed quartz makes up most sands as it does not break down to dust easily; other minerals combine with it to make it “sandy” brown, or what is called “dirty sand.” Black basalt lava sands are found in spots where volcanic action is frequent, but some beaches boast more brilliant hues. Both Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands have a rare emerald green sand 58 Nights
beach saturated with a gem-quality mineral called olivine. Pink beaches are more common, especially in the Caribbean; Bonaire’s Pink Beach gets its color from the crushed shells of millions of microscopic bright-pink sea creatures called foraminifera. Bonaire also boasts a black sand beach called Cocalashi, so named after the tiny black snails whose crushed shell skeletons give the sand its dark hue. California’s Pfeiffer Beach turns a deep purple from manganese garnet washed down from the hills to the ocean; Greece has a brick-red beach colored by its volcanic hills; and Sardinia has a bright orange beach thanks to a rare shade of limestone. Probably the most colorful sands in the world are found at aptly named Rainbow Beach on Fraser Island in Australia – they contain over 70 different strands of color! The white sands of New Mexico are made of gypsum crystals, but the white sands Background photo, Klein Knip
of the Caribbean are mostly made up of crushed coral and sea life and... parrotfish poop! The average parrotfish excretes up to one ton of pure white sand per year from digested coral. Curaçao’s healthy parrotfish population contributes a lot of soft, pure white sand to its beaches. Curaçao’s sands range from pale cream to blindingly white like the endless stretch on sister island Klein Curaçao, and even ochre like Shete Boka. Many of this island’s secret beaches are guarded with rocky cliff bookends making them romantic
and secluded. You can help keep them pristine by always taking your plastics and trash back with you, leaving the shells where they lie (they might be a home for hermit crabs), and wearing eco-friendly sunscreen. You can also volunteer with local coastal cleanups that keep Curaçao’s sands of time clean for future generations to enjoy. !
The white sand beaches of the Caribbean are mostly made up of crushed coral and sea life, courtesy of the parrotfish
Curaçao’s Santu Pretu beach literally means “black sand”
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