The Wadden Sea: experience the secrets and dynamics of the changing water.

About this experience

• Sailing trip with sand anchoring and walking on the sandbar
• Duration: +6 hours
• Number of participants: 4-8
• Price: €158,- pp (€180,- including lunch or bread meal)

“People have lost sight of the sea. I try to guide them to rediscover the sea. My favorite places are under the water. In this Dutch wilderness, you are able to experience how amazing it is to be part of one of the most beautiful places on earth. When visitors walk around on the sandbar, you can see how their faces alter.” Nienke

The Wadden Sea is unique and can qualify as a world wonder. It is the largest tidal area in the world, and a habitat and crucial stopover for birds, fish, underwater animals, plants and seals. The mudflats or sandbars are ever-changing. Twice a day at ebb and flow, enormous amounts of water squeeze through the sea inlets between the Wadden Islands. Sand and silt (sediment) move with the water, and channels, flats, salt marshes and the island coasts are formed and transformed.

In 2009, the Wadden Sea became a member of the Unesco World Heritage family, joining other world-famous nature areas such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. It is the only natural world heritage site in the Netherlands.

Experience description

The Wadden Sea is a dynamic environment in which the landscape (continuously) changes due to the endless interplay of wind, water and sand. The Wadden Sea World Heritage fills and empties twice a day, controlled by the sun and the moon. Flora and fauna conform to these tidal variations.

During this experience you will encounter this interchange up close. You take a look behind the scenes that cannot be experienced in any other way. You sail along on the current with Nienke and experience the dynamics of the changing water. When the ship anchors, you observe how the sea recedes further away and a completely different landscape emerges full of channels, bowers, mussel and oyster beds. Then it is time to disembark and explore this landscape: to walk on the bottom of the sea, to walk on the mudflats, a fascinating and unique way to experience nature with all your senses. Nienke will reveal the secrets of the Wad and the characteristics that make it a World Heritage Site. When the sea returns you go back on board and enjoy the endless expanse and beautiful cloudy skies as the land slowly disappears below sea level. There is plenty of tasty food on board during the trip, so that not only are your senses being fed, but also your apetite.

About Nienke

At the age of 21, I started sailing as a skipper with groups on large traditional sailing ships to continue a tradition taken from my grandfather and great-grandfather. I obtained my large boat license at the age of 29, I completed the nautical school and theater school. As skipper and captain I sailed on the Wadden Sea, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea with large traditional sailing ships. Over the years I have seen and experienced how rich the Wadden area is and just how much beauty the sea brings to people. I couldn’t create a more beautiful theater performance! I want you also to experience the beauty and power of this location and we work with what nature has in store for us.

Nienke is a sustainable entrepreneur who has put the plastic soup issue in the Wadden Sea on the map. For years she has been committed to a structural approach to the Plastic Soup in the Wadden Sea. With your contribution to this trip, you make that work possible!

Book this experience

To make sure this experience meets your preferences and expectations, we would like to make a personalized offer. Please contact us to book this exclusive experience. We will set a suitable date in consultation with you and the host.

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