Seal hunting with tripod.

Helgoland has a new attraction: gray seal-watching. In winter, Germany's largest predators get their offspring. After a visit to the furry babies may be the nature in the Jacuzzi overlooking the North Sea to warm up.

 

Heligoland - The gray seal baby is only a few days old and fighting violence against Rolf Blädels attempt, a mark on the tail fin to attach. The small predator in a white fur hisses, screams and makes itself at the end but with the green number of them. Blädel, a retired policeman, cares about the seals and gray seals, which rest on Helgoland Dune.

Now in winter is the small island within sight of the towering Helgoländer Buntsandsteinfelsens the nursery for Germany's largest predators. Gray seal bulls are more than 300 kilograms and present a respekteinflößendes bite. Because the animals but not people experienced as a threat, they are curious resistant to them.

"That will be another record year," says Blädel. Until shortly before Christmas, there were already close to 60 pups, the year before Blädel counted 55 births. Almost daily, the North Frisian weeks in which groups of visitors to the best places for the "gray seal-watching" on the oceanic islands far out in the North Sea. The action sets Tourism Director Klaus Furtmeier great hopes. The winter will be a strong foothold for tourism on Helgoland, because it is with the visitor numbers at the moment even in the summer goes downhill.

"Funny Girl" in rough seas

From far away now travel to nature, with the camera, tripod and heavy telephoto lenses are armed to seal hunting go. Many use a package. "This is really good," says Furtmeier. The six gray seal dates were sold out quickly.

The trip to Helgoland, more than 50 kilometers off the coast, is very simple - but the harsh shipping not for everyone. At 10.30 clock is going on in Cuxhaven. The robust ship "Funny Girl" makes his name already at moderate wind all the honor rolls, stomps, rocks and separates its passengers into two groups: those who like it, the other is bad.

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"Do you need?" Asks a young man caring of the crew and to provide paper bags. Today nobody needs, the waves are not high enough to turn stomachs. After two and a half hours, the ride on the North over, and "Funny Girl" is behind a concrete wall in the port Helgoländer vertäut a break until the departure in the afternoon.

The almost 70-year-old Camille Marca traveling from Luxembourg for more than 20 years after Helgoland: "I always come in winter, never in the summer. If you now, it is fantastic." The air is the Marca each year for at least four days attracts. "I have already experienced many storms correct, you almost blows away."

In the hotel "Panorama" at the cliff in Switzerland and with the best view over the sea and the dunes is too leisurely for owner Michaela Schürmann too leisurely. After their idea is to tourism in recent years more and worse, even in the winter. From the efforts of the spa, to attract more visitors, she has heard. "But I can see nothing like this." They believe their house open all year round. "Who wants to come can come." Only the restaurant remains closed in the winter: "It is absolutely not worth it anymore."

Butter ride away from image

A very different way Detlev Rickmers, on the promenade, the hotel "islanders" operates. Particularly, he has used his four-star property, with millions of effort expanded and a spa with sauna and spa was created. Now he is already thinking about the next investment after. "I had to decide," says the hotelier, either only to the summer place, sell or invest properly.

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Rickmers believes in change - away from the dwindling day tourism, away from cheap cigarettes and alcohol, to recreation and nature experiences. "Whoever goes after Helgoland, not just turn from the highway," said Rickmers. "He's very aware and interested in history and stories." The health trend Helgoland opened new prospects for the future, the hotel safe.

High-flying plans will be discussed in the community, whether land between dune and rocky island aufgespült or whether at the end of World War II weggesprengte southern tip with hotel, hospital and shops to be rebuilt. "One of the two must come," said Rickmers. The fact that not all Helgoländer so bravely after take chances, do not bother him. "The old has probably only break down so that new can come."

More guests at the weekend

After a tour of the Highlands with views on the landmark Lummenfelsen and Lange Anna comes durchgefrorenem many winter vacationers, the new park just right. From an ancient sea water bath, the "Mare Frisicum Spa Helgoland". Every guest has a lot of space, in the warm sea water outdoors or in the hall to play themselves on the upper deck in the hot tub overlooking the North Sea or relax in the sauna to sweat.

Tourism Director Furtmeier have when we look at the figures less joy. When the operating costs is a big minus. "At the beginning I made me really worried," says Furtmeier. "Now it can run better, thank God." Mayor Frank Botter now holds the correct path. "We had a lot of these steps more to go. Now we are under pressure." After all, he can first successes: "You notice it on the weekends, there are more guests than last year here."