Location: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Map
Area: 805 km2
Tel. +49 38234 5020
Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region of North- East Germany. This natural park covers an area of 805 km2 lagoon shores of the Baltic Sea. This untouched area of Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park is particularly famous as a nesting area for several species of geese and cranes that come to nest here during spring and summer months. A network of hiking trails are mostly situated in the forested area. Large portion of coastal plains are commonly flooded by the tides so it might be dangerous to visit. It is one of the few places in Europe where you can see mouflon, grey seals, otter and many other mammals. Additionally there is a sizeable population of wild boar that lives in the forests. Try to stay away from these animals. They might be cute and adorable, but if threatened they can be quiet aggressive and very dangerous.
About half
of the area of the national park is open Baltic Sea, more than a
further quarter comprises parts of the Bodden waters of the
Darß-Zingster Boddenkette and the Westrügener Bodden. Shallow water
areas are thus protected (in the Baltic Sea the national park border
is also based on the ten-meter depth line) with a very rich flora
and fauna. The different salt contents of the brackish water
habitats of the Baltic Sea and Bodden contribute significantly to
the diversity. The Baltic herring regularly visits the shallow bays
to spawn here.
The land areas contained in the national park
include parts of the Darß and the Zingst peninsula as well as most
of the Hiddensee island. In addition, a narrow strip of the island
of Rügen adjacent to the bay is in the national park. Pine and beech
forests cover large parts of the land area, such as in the Darß
Forest. Coastal flood bogs occur in unwooded areas.
A key goal of the Western
Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park is to maintain the natural
dynamics of the landscape, which is expressed, for example, in
constant changes in the coast. The erosion of soil on cliffs
contrasts with large landfall areas that are still growing, for
example at Darßer Ort or Bessin (on Hiddensee).
The
Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park is one of the most
important tourist destinations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is
famous, for example, as an autumn resting place for cranes.
The Windwatt - special feature of the lagoon landscape
Unlike in
the Wadden Sea of the North Sea, ebb and flow do not determine
what happens in the shallow water zones of the national park.
However, there are wind-related water level fluctuations of (in
extreme cases) several meters. Some particularly flat areas
regularly dry out in offshore winds. These wind flats provide a
large food supply for the migratory birds that pass in autumn. For
the cranes that cross the Western Pomeranian lagoon landscape on
their migration, the shallow water areas bordering the wind flats
are one of the most important sleeping places in Western Europe
during migration. There are remarkable wind flats north of Darßer
Ort, south of the Bessins and between Gellen, Bock and Pramort.
Gray seals are regular guests of the national park,
but they do not reproduce in the area. Seals can also be seen.
Porpoises only appear occasionally. The national park is also home
to the otter. Roe deer, wild boar and red deer can be found on the
land, and fallow deer can also be found in the Zingst area. There is
also a small population of mouflons on Hiddensee. There are also
numerous small mammals, such as the harvest mouse. Various bats such
as the rough-skin bat, pipistrelle and noctule bat can also be
observed.
The Bodden waters represent an important wintering
area for migratory birds and also form an important breeding area
for many birds. A total of 163 bird species breed in the national
park, 67 of which are on Germany's red list. The large flocks of
around 60,000 gray cranes that stop in the area between September
and November are a big visitor magnet. The lagoon is home to 48
species of fish. Common are lead, roach, European eel, three-spined
stickleback, nine-spined stickleback, perch, pikeperch and pike.
The national
park is particularly affected by water pollution. The inflow of
nutrients through intensive agriculture with high fertilizer
applications in the national park area contributes in particular to
this. The extensive drainage of bog areas also leads to nutrient
enrichment in the bay. Drainage in the national park is gradually
being stopped by renaturation projects, for example in the
Osterwald.
The underwater vegetation has changed
significantly due to the nutrient inputs; Many of the candelabrum
algae, which were formerly distributed in large numbers, were not
detected. For almost 20 years, stocks of candelabra have been found
in the bay again. As early as 1995, scientists demonstrated the
existence of chandelier algae in the Darß-Zingster lagoon chain.
These were confirmed again in 2008. Since 2013, the Biological
Station Zingst has been working in the BACOSA (Baltic Coastal System
Analysis and Status Evaluation) project of the KüNO-Verbund (coastal
marine research in the North and Baltic Seas) on the evaluation of
the ecosystem functions and services of submerged macrophytes, which
are now largely candlestick algae .
The osprey can no longer
be seen. The depth of view of the bay has become so small that the
eagle hunting as a shock diver can no longer find enough food.
The intensive tourist use of parts of the water
and land areas of the national park requires constantly adapted
visitor management and ongoing control of the protected area.
The management of the forests was repeatedly criticized. In many
areas it did not meet the criteria set for a national park.
Excessive wild animal populations with trophy hunting and without
wildlife biological justification as well as hardwood felling and
reforestation with also non-local woody plants were criticized.
Therefore, the National Park Office was revoked the FSC seal in
2006. In the meantime, the national park administration, according
to its own information, adheres to the guidelines for the treatment
of forests in the national parks of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
and to the ordinance regulating hunting in the national parks of
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. There is neither felling of hardwood
nor reforestation with non-local trees. Trophies are not used or
assessed in the national park and are not a goal of hunting. The end
of forest management is planned for 2017, with large parts of the
forest being left to their own devices.