Tidal change. Süderoogsand

A seemingly endless, uninhabited oasis of snow-white sand in the middle of the North Sea – that is Süderoogsand, the largest of three North Frisian outer sandbanks in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. These outer sandbanks lie off the Hallig islands towards the open sea and, through their wave-breaking effect, contribute to the protection of the areas behind them.

A rare access to Protection Zone 1

Süderoogsand, like the other outer sandbanks, is located in protection zone 1 of the Wadden Sea National Parks – a space untouched by human hands and accessible only with special permission. I obtained such permission for this excursion. Together with Holger Spreer-Wree from the Hallig Süderoog as my guide, I hiked there across the mudflats: 18 kilometers with heavy camera equipment – ​​there, back, and across the sand.

Holger has lived on Süderoog with his wife Nele and their two daughters since 2013. He works as an employee at... State Agency for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Conservation (LKN.SH) They take care of the maintenance of the state-owned Hallig islands, coastal protection work, and national park monitoring.

The four members of the Spreer-Wree family are the only year-round residents in the strictly protected Zone 1 of the national park. Their daily lives are closely intertwined with the Wadden Sea: its pathways, its risks, its changes. This knowledge also guided our journey to Süderoogsand.

From Süderoog to Süderoogsand

From the Hallig island, we begin the challenging march across the mudflats in cold air and a strong westerly wind. Soon the mudflats lie open before us – a vast expanse of sand, ripple patterns, and tidal creeks backlit by the bright sun. We walk through a landscape that reshapes itself with every change in the weather. The horizon remains wide, the sounds muted. The further we walk, the more apparent the isolation of this place becomes.

The beacon and rescue beacon

After a few kilometers, the beacon and rescue beacon appears. The current structure has stood here since 2017, somewhat removed from the historical location of its predecessors. A technical marker in a landscape that actually needs no markers. The beacon appears as a fixed point, yet the sand beneath it is in constant motion. Currents, storm surges, seasons – everything shifts, and the beacon stands amidst this change.

It serves as both a point of reference and a warning: the Wadden Sea is a space that cannot be contained.

The wreck of the Ulpiano

Further out lies the wreck of the UlpianOr rather, what's left of it. In 1870, the Spanish ship ran aground on Süderoogsand during its maiden voyage. For a long time, the remains of its hull protruded from the sand, black and angular, an iconic image. Today, the wreck lies in the sea. The tides have reclaimed it. Only under certain conditions does it still appear, like a shadow from another time.

The history of the Ulpian The stern figure is still present on Süderoog today. The surviving sailors reached the Hallig island and were taken in. The original figurehead is housed in the private museum of the Spreer-Wree family. A replica hangs above the door of their house – a subtle detail that makes the connection between the place and its history visible.

A place in transition

On our way back, the light had changed. The sand seemed brighter, the mudflats calmer. Süderoogsand remains a place in transition – between land and sea, between past and present. Nothing stays the same for long here. And yet everything leaves its mark: the beacon, the shipwreck, and the paths of the people who – rarely enough – pass by, whether as ornithologists, national park rangers, or, like me, as a photographer.

tide

The pictures from this excursion are part of my project. tideThey tell of a space that is constantly reshaping itself, yet preserves history. Of the stillness of the sand, the vastness of the sky, and the traces that nature and humans leave in the mudflats.

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Further information: The Spreer-Wree family regularly reports on life on the Hallig Süderoog on their YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@halligsuderoog755