Status: 06/01/2023 11:19 a.m
The Baltic Sea island between Rügen and Usedom is a small refuge for rare animals and an insider tip for nature lovers. Day visitors can visit the island by boat and take part in guided tours.
In the Pomeranian Bay, about twelve kilometers northeast of Peenemünde, there is a quiet natural paradise with the Greifswalder Oie. The small island is an important resting place for migratory birds and at the same time a retreat for gray seals. The marine mammals are rare in the Baltic Sea, the Oie is next to the Great Stubber – a sandbank in the Greifswalder Bodden – the only permanent resting place for animals in the Baltic Sea. More and more seals have been living there since the 1990s, and now there are up to 400.
Visit as part of excursions
With a height of almost 40 meters, the historic lighthouse towers over the small Baltic Sea island.
During the Nazi and GDR era, the island was a restricted military area, today it is under strict nature protection. Anyone who would like to visit the island, which is only about 1.6 kilometers long and a maximum of 400 meters wide, can take part in an excursion from Peenemünde or Freest. The crossing to the Oie takes about 90 minutes, followed by a two-hour shore leave. It includes a guided tour of the island and a visit to the historic lighthouse. Participation in the guided tour is mandatory, guests are only allowed to explore the island on the prescribed paths. Since only 50 visitors are allowed to enter the Oie per day, it is advisable to reserve the trip in advance.
breeding area for birds
The east of the Oie is characterized by a steep coast, the rest of the island is dominated by forest and meadows – an ideal resting area for migratory birds. A flock of rough-wooled Pomeranian sheep keeps the grass short on the pastures. Especially in autumn, thousands of migratory birds rest on the Greifswalder Oie on their way to their winter quarters in the south. In spring and summer many songbirds breed in the island forest.
Last Ice Age modeled the Baltic Sea island
The largely natural island can only be explored on the prescribed paths.
The reef in front of the island is also under protection. It is riddled with large boulders on which the seals like to rest. The island, which is also popularly known as “Heligoland of the Baltic Sea”, was created by an ice age moraine that protrudes from the Baltic Sea. Apart from the lighthouse and the harbor there are very few buildings on the island. In one is a bird ringing station des Jordsand Nature Conservation Society.
Map: The Greifswalder Oie
Further information
