PEOPLE WHO ARE VIOLENT TO ANIMALS RARELY STOP THERE!

Monday, April 09, 2012

"H"

is
 for
 Heligoland.
Heligoland is located 46 km off the German coastline and consists of two island, the populated main island to the west and the uninhabited dune to the east. The main island is divided into Lower Land at sea level and the Upper Land, visible on most photos and the Middle Land between them on one side of the island., The Middle Land came into being in 1947 as a result of explosions detonated by the British Royal Navy.
The main island features small beaches in the north and the south. Northwest of the Island you will find the famous Landmark, the Tall Anna, which is a free standing rock column of about 47 metres high .
Until 1720 the two islands were connected, the natural connection was destroyed by a storm flood. The highest point is on the main island reaching 61 m above sea level. There are only a few cars on the island and most people get around by bike or foot.
Nowadays Heligoland is a holiday resort and enjoys a tax exempt status. Much of the economy is founded on sales of cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and perfumes to tourists who visit the island.
The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service is also located on Heligoland.
Being a Biology major in high school, I had the opportunity to visit Heligoland in my senior year, when my biology class took a week long trip up to the island to study some marine biology. It was a very interesting trip and I learnt a lot about red algae, as that was my main topic for my report. It was fun wading in the water catching all kinds of critters and studying them. The best part was however wading far out into the ocean when the tide was low and then getting back in time when the tide started to come in. Also the best memory of the whole trip was being on the Dune island looking for shells and looking out in the ocean and seeing lots of heads popping out of the water watching us, it's the first time I had seen seals in their natural habitat, that was so cool.
There also is an array of bird life on the island, over  400 different species have been recorded to date. Heligoland is on a major migration route for birds crossing the North Sea, but also a breeding ground for many species.
Northern Gannets breed on Heligoland.

3 comments:

Inger said...

Very interesting post and it reminded me of when I was 12 and my dad sent me to Germany to stay with a friend's family for the summer. We spent part of it on the island of Langeoog and had a wonderful time there.

God's Little People said...

I love your images, quite spectacular. And seeing a seal in its natural habitat - how cool is that!!
P.s. Thanks so much for your sweet comment on my blog.
Spring greetings from Greece,
Joan

M Pax said...

That sounds like a fantastic trip. Thanks for sharing this magical place.

The first time I saw seals in the ocean was exciting for me, too. Whales. A sea otter once, too. Awesome.