But the first rays of sunshine already manage to warm the face. Clouds alternate with bright sunshine. The island offers a charming natural spectacle when life awakens in spring, tender green sprouts on bushes and on the cliffs, interrupted by delicate yellow of the cliff cabbage blossom. Now is also the time for the local migratory birds to return. Gannets and gulls build nests and lay their eggs. On the steep guillemot rock, the breeding business begins. It is still too cold for swimming, but the feet can already splash in the cool water, because already in spring the sun shines more often on Helgoland than on the mainland.
In late spring, Helgoland is a true paradise for birdwatchers. At this time, some seabirds are already breeding and migratory birds also make regular appearances when they take a rest on the island to take a break from their long journeys. Visitors to the high seas island do not always find the huge flocks of migratory birds, they only return to Helgoland on certain days and then in large flocks. The seabirds, on the other hand, can be observed daily building their nests and later also breeding on Germany’s only seabird breeding rock. The enormous colonies not only amaze established bird lovers, but the hatching of the chicks from June onwards is also a unique experience for children.
Overview of the different guided tours can be found here: Guided tours
This is a very energetic process for the animals – for us a very impressive natural spectacle. The grey seals change from their snow-white child fur (lanugo) to that of an adult seal in order to swim and hunt like the adult animals.
The grey seal is the top predator in our North Sea: In Germany, the grey seal has a special status: it is Germany’s largest predator. The grey seal belongs to the dog seal family. The mammal is widespread from Norway to the east coast of America. The animals like to stay near the coast, but they are also able to swim long distances. Grey seals can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h on land, and can even accelerate to 40 km/h in the water. When hunting, the grey seals are helped by the so-called vibrissae. The animals use their whiskers to find their way underwater better than their eyes. The life expectancy of a grey seal is on average 35 years. For more information, visit our showroom in the dune’s jetty building or one of our guided tours.
On Helgoland there are events throughout the year to enjoy the fresh air of the island even better with good entertainment. During Easter, however, a visit to Helgoland is particularly worthwhile, in the evening the traditional Easter fire is lit in the heart of the dune landscape, where islanders and guests can end the day with music and dancing. And also after Easter it does not become boring on the island. This is ensured not only by concerts and theater performances, but also by regular sporting events such as the Helgoland Marathon and the Whitsun Regatta.
