Landscape & Nature
Beaches, countryside, dikes, inlayers, marshes, acres, woods....
In
early days, big parts of Zeeland were isolated. You could only reach the island
with a boat. After the construction of several dams, barrages , bridges and
tunnels all the islands became attached to the mainland. But..... Noord-Beveland
is still fully surrounded by water!
Gold coloured sandbeaches...
In Zeeland the
coast is never far away, because there is almost 650 kilometres of coastline by
the sea and inlets. The coast of Zeeland is unspoilt and the beaches differ in
every area. They have been for years the cleanest of Europe.
There are about 70 kilometres of clean golden sandy beaches, water sport
beaches, family beaches. Also little cosy beaches, who disappear when the flood
comes. Most beaches guarantee you peace and quiet, even in the middle of
summer!.
Relax while searching for shells. Sometimes you even can find fossils (shark theeth or a bone of a whale). You even might find shark-teeth or whale bones. Seaside visits make you happy!
Seals and porpoises
About 400 common seals live in this region. In
late June and early July, the seal pups are born. During this time, the mothers
seek out the quieter spots. Grey seal are hardly being seen.
- The sea animal hospital of "a Seal" in Stellendamreceives many sick seals. They can recover there and afterwards they are put into the sea again.
Bird paradise?
Zeeland
is one the of the best birding areas of the Netherlands (and international important!). thanks to its
situation, marshes, polders, lakes and natural reserves, especially during the
migrations and winter. Hundreds of thousands of geese, ducks, waders and
passerines, attracting raptors, stay for a short or a long period. Among them,
one can find rarer species such as Red-Breasted Goose, Lesser White-fronted
Goose, Long-tailed Duck, Rough-legged Buzzard, Snow Bunting, ...The Eastern
Scheldt Delta is one of the three most important wintering grounds for birds in
Europe. Do you know that some birds arrive here ravenous, after a non-stop
flight of more than 5 thousand kilometres from Greenland?
Also each year flamingo's hibernate here in the nearby Grevelingen-lake. And even
a colony of spoonbills and pink godwits stay here over winter.
Veerse Meer (Lake of Veere)
The lake of Veere is 22 Kilometres
long. As the Dam between Noord-Beveland and Walcheren was made: it was a closed
lake. Nowadays it has an opening so that the water now is a mix of fresh and salt water.
Spectacular encounters..
Look on foot or in a canoe for shy wild animals like: the porpoise,
flamingo, seal, fallow deer or fox. Perhaps you come across wild horses or a
flock of large herbivores (like Heck cattle, Herefords) or Konik horses.
Did you know that they spotted in 2021 a wolf over here and that even the rare
Wisent (European Bison) and sea eagle live in Zeeland? Take your binoculars and go outside!
The divers landscape of Zeeland
At Noord-Beveland
you can enjoy a broad outlook over acres where dikes are the borders. The tall
poplars accentuate the horizon. As you see a field with blue flax growing. You will find tranquillity and space: the ideal combination for
the perfect way to unwinde.
How different the landscape is a bit more South. I"De zak van Zuid Beveland" contains the oldest polder
landscape of the Netherlands. It looks like a large patchwork of
fields, orchards, berrie shrubs, pastures, dikes and creeks.
Noord-Beveland has about 50 kilometres of coastline and is surrounded by the Oosterschelde and the Lake of Veere (Veerse Meer).
Park Oosterschelde (Eastern Scheldt)
The north side of Noord-Beveland touches the national Park Oosterschelde (37000 ha): this is the largest and wettest national Park of the Nethelands. A variated park with not only water, but also dikes, dunes, inlayers, wet fields, salt marshes. Because of the low and high tide you will find many different plants and animals. This variety leads to different biotopes, small ecosystem, and therefor for many different plants and animals. An important part of the European Network of nature reserves.
Numerous nature reserves
are to be found. A large part of Zeeland belongs to protected European Natura2000 area.
Some reserves came into existence spontaneously, some are created
by human.
- nature reserve Schelphoek : came
into existence after the inundation or 1953 and "Rammekenshoek" after the bombardments
carried out by the Allied Forces in 1944.( you must visit her the impressive sea Fortress Rammekens)
- The Inlets (wetlands) of
Noord-Beveland came into being because man made a second dike inland, on places
where people believed that the original Eastern Scheldt dike would collapse.
The land inbetween these dikes (inlets) is valuable nature ground.
- The Veere woods and creeks owe their existence to the
bursting of the dike in 1945 during the liberation of Walcheren. The deep tidal
channels were formed and later forest planted all around.
-- Former drinkwater-collection area Oranjezon is a rich in plant and animal life. Apart from roe deer, it is also a home
to a population of fallow deer.
-
De Schotsman at Noord Beveland is one
of the "orchid hotspots, where you can find for example the marsh orchid.
In Zeeland are 18 different orchid varieties to be found.
- Boswachterij Westerschouwen : the biggest forest of The Netherlands
(330 ha big)
(more: Zeeuwslandschap / Natuurmonumenten)
Nature in the water
Depending
on the time of the year the divers expierience under water a very
diverse array of marine life with many species of anemones, sponges,
lobsters, crabs, slugs and squid.
Sepia is the most common type of squid that you might
encouter in the Oosterschelde. Especially in the spring when the water
temperature about 12 degrees and the Sepia is laying its eggs in the
Oosterschelde. This is a wonderful sight for the diver to see. From
febuary to april divers have the chance to meet the Lump fish. During
these months it comes out of the North Sea into the Oosterschelde to
reproduce.
Also seahorses can be found in the waters of the Eastern Sheldt as wel as the only coral sort of the Netherlands: The Dead Mens Finger (Alcyonium digitatum): a soft coral sort.
The Grevelingen Lake
Grevelingen lake is the largest saltwater lake in Western Europe. With a
surface area of approximately 11,000 hectares, the possibilities for
water recreation and other leisure activities are endless.
It belongs to the zones of natura 2000
A group of flamingo's hibernate hier each year.
