Marina Verploeg, a long time resident of Malmok met up with Wim Eelens, of Aruba Active Vacations on the beach Tuesday, October 4th, 2016. She was walking her dogs, he was inspecting his Surf School, obviously closed for the day, courtesy of hurricane Mathew. They were both looking at a disaster waiting to happen, hundreds of starfish tossed onto the beach by the surging storm waves.
The storm itself had already passed, traveling North to pound other islands, but the wind shifted, blowing onshore, with 6 meter waves smashing against the coastline, delivering starfish and other small marine animals, dug out of their comfy seabeds by churning water, to die in the hot tropical sun and sand on the seaweed strewn beach.
Malmok has always been starfish paradise, and as Marina & Wim lived here all their lives, enjoying the beauty of these brittle, gorgeous, asteroid, they couldn’t just stand there and watch. Wim has connections, says Marina, and I brought some other neighbors, the kids, and some FB friends, and together we went to work for almost two days.
By connections, Marina means De Palm Tours, and animal rescue veteran Philip Merryweather from the Animal Garden. Win had the numbers stored in his phone from Hi-Winds, Cool FM, the media, and before you know it there were 300 volunteers on the Malmok beach, working with a great sense of urgency, picking up starfish, placing them in iced water, and later transporting them to neighboring quieter beaches, away from turbulent waters.
Marina reports that at first the kids were risking limbs and necks, paddling out on their SUP boards, to return buckets full of starfish, into the ocean, but that strategy did not work, because the persistent, hard-headed waves, spat them right back out.
So finally they lined Philip’s truck with plastic, water and ice, and loaded as many rescues as they could and made a few runs to alternative beaches.
We earned our stars, that day says Wim, and adds that he will be going out there to see how the relocated refugees are faring in their new environment.
Marina marvels at the team spirit, and the genuine care, as manifested last Tuesday and Wednesday by young and old carrying plastic buckets – Wim’s son kiddie pool was a lifesaver – and every size container, determined to help the distressed creatures, all that on Animal Day, October 4th, 2016, which was a very appropriate way of celebrating the day!
Many thanks to Eef van den Eerenbeemt, Nina van den Berg, Roos Rijnsaardt, Jade Riley, JP van den Eerenbeemt, Dominique, and many more volunteers, including a great number of tourists.
