An island the size of 25 football pitches has appeared seemingly out of nowhere off the coast of Germany.
The landmass, which is composed of sandbanks, gradually emerged from the violent waters of the North Sea over the past few years.
It lies 15 miles off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany’s far north in a stretch of coastline known as the Wattenmeer, a marine national park.
'Anything but ordinary': The new landmass has been dubbed Bird Island after its first settlers; who include gulls, eider ducks, grey geese and even peregrine falcons
'Anything but ordinary': The new landmass has been dubbed Bird Island after its first settlers; who include gulls, eider ducks, grey geese and even peregrine falcons
Nature lovers and yachstmen noticed the appearance of Bird Island - named after the seabirds who rest, nest or feed on the sand dunes that are up to 16ft high.
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Winds blew seeds from across Europe, and 49 species of plants have been detected on it.
'Who needs an artificial island off the coast of Dubai?' asked the Bild newspaper, Germany’s largest, when the landmass composed of sandbanks grew, and stayed put, in the North Sea.
But before locals reach for the beachtowels and sun loungers, nature might beat them to it.
Landmass: The island, which is composed of sandbanks, has emerged from the waters of the North Sea off the coast of Germany over the past few years
Landmass: The island, which is composed of sandbanks, has emerged from the waters of the North Sea off the coast of Germany over the past few years
Dunes: Nearly 50 different plant species have been discovered on the island after winds blew seeds from across Europe
Dunes: Nearly 50 different plant species have been discovered on the island after winds blew seeds from across Europe
new german Island Locator
Martin Stock, a biologist with the National Park Management which oversees the Wattenmeer, said; 'A strong storm flood could wipe the island out overnight. The plants do not have the roots necessary yet to bind the dunes together.'
It is the first time in a quarter of a century that a discernible landmass has appeared in the coastal waters off Germany.
Detlef Hansen, head of the national park, said; 'This is for us conservationists anything but ordinary.'
Tidal actions unrelated to global warming or other earthly phenomena have created the island.
While a boatload of tourists made it to the sands a week ago, they were under strict instructions to keep away from the gulls, grey geese, eider ducks, common ringed plovers and even peregrine falcons that use it.
And, this time at least, none of them was allowed to bring a deckchair.....
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Reminds me of Scottish golf courses w/gourds. of salt in saltine emerging.
- andri ciccone , san francisco, United States, 11/1/2013 10:25
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For readers in the U.S., 25 football pitches means 25 soccer fields...
- Marquisha Washington , Louisville, United States, 11/1/2013 08:10
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#notnews
- stujwill89 , Kings Lynn, United Kingdom, 11/1/2013 08:04
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I'm waiting for China to claim it as their own.
- cedwa , Indiana, 11/1/2013 07:27
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- Laura Johansen , Copenhagen, Denmark, 10/1/2013 19:01 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don't be stupid, where has anyone claimed it is an official unit of measurement. As a general measurement, it is completely normal to equate size with what someone will understand. For all your (stupid) talk about using official measurements, for normal people reading an article (any scientist or similar reading a newspaper for research would be incompetent, exact measurements are available for anyone to find elsewhere), giving the measurements in this way will form a considerably more accurate scale in their mind than acres/hectare/square miles etc would ever come close to doing. Just like I imagine you have heard people compare the size of something they saw to that of an orange, or grapefruit, or size of a car etc. None of them are official units either, but get the intended job done a lot better than an official measurement would be able to. In conclusion, grow up.
- Mike , Leeds, United Kingdom, 11/1/2013 05:14
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Have a look on google earth... the area is a massive area of sandbanks etc. Thanet in kent used to be a proper Island until the Wantsum channel between Reculver and Richborough became land after the Romans... nothing stays the same.
- Magnus , Kirkwall, 10/1/2013 22:23
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It's probably to with global warming.... rising sea levels and suchlike
- davito , Not so Great britain, 10/1/2013 21:57
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You watch the developers try to move in and build. But as it's 15 miles off the coast who's land is it in reality? - AGPCUK , Bournemouth, United Kingdom, 10/1/2013 17:27 Probably the uk, along with Elizabeth land in the artic, Gibralter and the Falklands
- blueyonda , blueyonda, Niue, 10/1/2013 19:52
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Lebensraum at last.
- reptile , Thames Delta North, United Kingdom, 10/1/2013 19:22
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- AGPCUK , Bournemouth, United Kingdom - you ask 'whose land is it anyway?' --- Probably Scotland's.
- Peter Pan , Neverland, 10/1/2013 19:14
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Winds blew seeds from across Europe, and 49 species of plants have been detected on it.
'Who needs an artificial island off the coast of Dubai?' asked the Bild newspaper, Germany’s largest, when the landmass composed of sandbanks grew, and stayed put, in the North Sea.
But before locals reach for the beachtowels and sun loungers, nature might beat them to it.
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