Explore the beach of Schiermonnikoog in an adventurous way? Hop on the Balgexpres! This characteristic tractor with a bus trailer takes you to the easternmost point of Schiermonnikoog: the Eilander Balg. A pristine stretch of sand that you cannot visit without a guide. A unique experience; as if you are at the end of the world. The journey covers fifteen kilometers along the beach and lasts about 2.5 hours. Every trip is different. Just like the landscape. The wind, weather, and water ensure that the beach has a different character every day.
Under the Influence of Tide
One day during low tide, there is a lot of water due to, for example, spring tide or strong winds from the north. Another day, there is less water, for instance, due to the east wind. After high tide, channels and pools form on the beach, through which the water flows back to the sea. Calm weather results in a tranquil and smooth beach. However, this can completely change within one tide or weather shift. A tide can both smooth and crease the beach. The sea can move enormous amounts of sand during storms. And the wind can blow dry sand across the beach in great quantities. A spectacular display; the entire beach is in motion, causing sand drifts and dunes to form.
Spot seals, shells, and birds
The Balg is only easily accessible at low tide when the eastern tip of the island becomes dry, and the water from the channels flows back into the North Sea. That is also the moment when both gray and common seals are basking in the sun on the sandbank across the water. There's also a good chance you'll see them swimming along the sandbank. Do you know the differences between the two species? Gray seals are much larger than common seals and have a protruding snout. Common seals have a short snout, which gives them a very different appearance.
Do you prefer to seek nature in the air? Or a little closer to your feet? There's an abundance of birds and shells. In the air, you might see birds like the sandwich tern and the little tern hovering above the water, searching for fish. They then dive straight down behind a wave, hoping to surface with a sand eel. In the tide line, you can find rare shells such as the ocean quahog. This is the oldest shell species in the Wadden area, a large shell sometimes nearly eight centimeters wide and up to five hundred years old.
Second Chance
Didn't see any seals during the trip with the Balgexpress? Then head to the beach at the end of Badweg. It's about a ten-minute bike ride from the village. At this beach, you have a view of a few sandbanks where seals are often spotted.