The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
National park partner and environmental island Borkum
Between the North Sea island of Borkum and the coast lies a world of rare diversity - young, pristine and characterised by the forces of nature that prevail here: the Wadden Sea. It has held the title of "UNESCO World Heritage Site" since 2009. This is because it is of outstanding universal value.
The Wadden Sea offers many different habitats and thus a home for numerous animal and plant species. Around 10,000 species - including single-celled organisms, fungi, plants and animals such as worms and mussels, fish, birds and mammals - live here. Every year, around 10 to 12 million birds make a short or longer stopover in the Wadden Sea on their journey from their breeding grounds in Siberia, Scandinavia or Canada to their wintering grounds in Western Europe and Africa or back. Only here, they find enough food to survive the thousands of kilometres long journey.
The Wadden Sea shows in a unique way how plants and animals adapt to the constantly changing landscape. Between high and low tide, at the interface between land and sea, where fresh water and salt water meet, live many ecological specialists. Shaped by the forces of nature, wind, sand and tides, very special communities have formed. Natural processes can still unfold here largely uninfluenced by humans.
Seal watching is one of the tourist attractions in the Wadden Sea. Almost nowhere is this as good as on Borkum. Both harbour seals and grey seals are protected species to which we feel particularly committed. Since hunting ceased almost 50 years ago, their populations in the Wadden Sea have been steadily recovering. The seal bank is used by seals as a resting place and by birds as a resting area - both species groups will adapt to the natural dynamics. One of the tasks of the
Nationalpark Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer.
Despite its young age, the Wadden Sea tells us a lot about the history of the earth. Its development began in the last ice age (10,000-12,000 years ago) and has never stood still. To this day, and sometimes within just a few days, you can experience for yourself how natural dynamics are constantly reshaping the landscape. Information boards in many places on Borkum help you to orientate yourself in the area. This is because 81 per cent of the island belongs to the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park. The only exceptions are the built-up areas at the harbour, in the Westland and in the Ostland. If you don't want to explore the North Sea island with its different habitats on your own, you can also take part in the various guided tours
.
Weather
