Hiiumaa Island Reserve
The Hiiumaa Island Reserve (Estonian: Hiiumaa laidude maastikukaitseala ) is a nature reserve that includes most of the islands and skerries in the southeast of the Estonian island of Hiiumaa .
administration
The reserve was created on October 26, 1971. The administrative center is in Salinõmme village ( Hiiumaa municipality ) on the peninsula of the same name.
Islands
The main islands of the reserve are
- Saarnaki (140 hectares)
- Hanikatsi (82 hectares)
- Kõverlaid (29 hectares)
- Vareslaid (26 hectares)
- Ahelaid (24 hectares)
- Kõrgelaid (14 hectares)
- Öakse (7.6 hectares)
- Auklaid (1.2 hectares)
- Hanerahu (1.2 hectares)
- Langekare (1.2 hectares)
- Suur-Pihlakare (0.3 hectares)
- Ankrurahu (0.3 hectare)
- Väike-Pihlakare (0.2 hectares)
- Valgekare (0.2 hectares)
- Varesrahu (0.2 hectare)
- Hoburahu (0.1 hectare)
- Palgirahu (0.1 hectare)
- Oorahu (0.1 hectare)
- Aherahu (0.1 hectare)
- Hülgerahu (0.1 hectare)
- Kayakarahu (0.1 hectare)
- Sitakare (0.04 hectares)
Other islands are Juhanirahu , Kuivarahu , Luigerahu , Paerahu , Saarnaki laid and Silmarahu .
Texture, flora and fauna
Most of the islands are very young, often less than 2000 years old. Because of their young age, they are mostly flat. The sea level drops 2–3 mm annually. The island's flora is very rich in species and comprises around half of the plants found in Estonia. In Hanikatsi z. B. 444 plant species recorded. The bird life of the islands is also rich in species (187 species), including common tern , black-headed gull , common gull and eider . Even on the 400 m² Sitakare island, 12 species of birds have been observed.
The sea between the islands is shallow and rocky. The average depth is 2-4 m. In the summer the highest temperature is up to 24 ° C . The sea surface is covered by ice 3 to 4 months a year.
In addition to the diverse avifauna, there is a reintroduction project for the European mink on Hiiumaa , which is managed by the Tallinn Zoological Garden and has established a population of around 25 specimens in the reserve.
stay
The first permanent settlements were established by fishermen in Saarnaki in 1564 and in Hanikatsi in 1623. The last settlement in the reserve was abandoned in 1973. However, on some of the larger islands, hay is still mowed and sheep are settled. Entering the islands requires prior permission from the island sanctuary administration. On some islands there are special tent sites and fire places for tourists and nature lovers.
Web links
- Management of the protected area with further information on the individual islands, maps and biological studies (Estonian)
- Interactive map of the island world in the southeast of Hiiumaas
Individual evidence
- ↑ Estonian Nature and Wildlife. In: Estonian Wildlife Tours. Retrieved October 14, 2019 (American English).
Coordinates: 58 ° 49 ' N , 23 ° 0' E