Ecomare

Ecomare is a bird and seal sanctuary, a sea aquarium, a nature museum, a dune park and a visitor centre for the National Park 'Dunes of Texel'. Its versatility gives visitors a good idea of the nature of the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. Sick birds and seals are given time to regain strength and live in the wild again. In the nature museum, visitors can discover everything about the Wadden Sea World Heritage, the North Sea and Texel.

History of Ecomare

In 1929 Mr. Kraai started the museum with a collection of stuffed birds in a room of the Mulo-school of Den Burg. In the museum the visitor could admire not only stuffed birds, but also shells and archaeological finds. The museum was closed during the Second World War and was partially destroyed during shelling in 1945. Two years later the museum was housed in an old German barracks called 'Waldfrieden' in the Texel forest. Gerrit de Haan and his wife started taking care of seals in 1952, after which it moved to its current location in 1975. The museum was given its current name Ecomare at the end of the last century.

About the Ecomare

In Ecomare there are several animals to be found, the most famous of which is the seal. There are also porpoises, birds, fish and other marine animals. In Ecomare you can get quite close to the seals. Since 2011, a new outdoor area with new pools has been built. One of these pools has large windows, so you can see the animals swimming under water. Another pool is extra deep, so the grey seals can dive. There are also large pools for the seals to strengthen. In the bird shelter sick, injured and weakened birds regain their strength. There is a special bird washer for birds that have oil on their feathers. The animals can be viewed through windows and a video shows you how the shelter works. The sea aquarium is underground and there live dozens of species of fish, starfish, crustaceans and shellfish, and jellyfish. For each aquarium a habitat has been reconstructed. In this way you will learn which fish species live mainly in the open sea and which in the harbours. Ecomare also organizes outdoor programs in the nature of Texel, along the beach and on the mudflats. At Ecomare you will get to know the animal world of the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. A fun and educational experience for young and old.