Engelsmanplaat

Engelsmanplaat
Waters	North Sea
Archipelago	West Frisian Islands
Geographical location	53 ° 27 '  N , 6 ° 3'  E Coordinates: 53 ° 27 '  N , 6 ° 3'  E
length	1 km
width	1 km
surface	<1 km²
Residents	uninhabited
Engelsmanplaat as part of the municipality of Dongeradeel , district of Nes (south of the island of Rif )

The Engelsmanplaat is a high sand in the Wadden Sea between Ameland and Schiermonnikoog about four kilometers off the coast of the province of Friesland . It has an area of ​​less than one square kilometer and is covered with hardly overgrown dunes . From 1973 to 1991 it was administered by the Staatsbosbeheer . It is an important breeding and resting area for birds such as B. the sanderling (Calidris alba) and the dunlin (Calidris alpina). The sandbank has been freely accessible since 1991 and is a popular destination for mudflat hikers and Wadden Sea sailors.

history

The Engelsmanplaat has changed steadily over time. Around 1500 it was just a large sandbar, but in the 19th century the west side eroded heavily. The erosion is caused by the cyclical changes in the currents in the Gatt between Ameland and the Engelsmanplaat. The dike in the Lauwerszee has a profound impact on sandbanks and shallows between Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. The east coast of the island has also been eroding since 1985, so the island is expected to be gone by the end of the 21st century.

Naming

The island is also known by other names such as Ingelsche Plaet , Langhe Sandt , 't Hooge Sandt , Hooghe Banc or Jouerman . The inhabitants of Friesland call it De Kalkman .

The current name is said to have originated in 1708 after the stranding of a mussel fishing ship from Schiermonnikoog that belonged to the fisherman Feye Willems Engelsman . On Ameland, on the other hand, it is said that an English ship was stranded there in a storm and the drowned crew was buried there too.

Web links

Commons : Engelsmanplaat  - collection of images, videos and audio files