Our Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea, as we know it today, is a land area that is only about 7,500 years old. Large parts of the North Sea were steppe and dry land during the Ice Age, which began about 115,000 years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago. The North Sea coast was about 300 km further north, England was not an island, and the Rhine was a tributary of the Thames.

After the ice masses melted and the sea level rose, the coastline moved inland, forming the English Channel and the East Frisian Islands.

The Wadden Sea, this world between land and sea, begins on the coast of the Netherlands and ends in Denmark. It has a total area of ​​14,500 km², of which 3,450 km² are the Wadden Sea off Cuxhaven. It has been a national park since 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009.

Every year, 10-12 million birds (approximately 400 species) migrate through the Wadden Sea. In spring, they head north to their breeding grounds, and in autumn, they migrate south to their wintering grounds. Thus, the Wadden Sea is a major migratory route for birds in the eastern Atlantic. It offers a rich food source and serves as a resting place.

The Wadden Sea is an ideal environment for the growth of North Sea fish. It is shallower than the deeper North Sea and warms up more quickly. The metabolism, which is influenced by the ambient temperature, is higher, resulting in faster growth. There is also an abundance of food and fewer large predatory fish. 80% of plaice, 60% of sole, and 40% of sprat and herring in the North Sea spawn here.

Here, individuals of various species coexist for mutual benefit and dependence in a habitat with extreme living conditions.

The Wadden Sea's "Small Five" are the mud snail, lugworm, cockle, shore crab, and shrimp. The "Big Five" are the harbor seal, harbor porpoise, grey seal, white-tailed eagle, and sturgeon.