De Kreupel, Nature reserve in IJsselmeer, Netherlands.
De Kreupel is an artificial island in the IJsselmeer, a large inland lake in the Netherlands. The roughly 70-hectare site consists of sandbanks surrounded by shallow waters and reed beds.
The site was originally a natural island in the Zuiderzee, where fisher folk sought shelter during storms in the 15th century. It was later reshaped artificially to create breeding habitat for ground-nesting birds.
The reserve serves as a critical breeding habitat for water birds and supports Europe's largest tern colony. Visitors can observe these birds from designated viewing points without disturbing their nesting sites.
The site is accessible by water, though the visitor jetty is currently undergoing repairs with no set reopening date. Plan your visit with local boat operators or guided tours to access the area safely.
The island was built with roughly 3 million cubic meters of sand dredged from the Amsterdam-Lemmer shipping channel. This sand-shaping project was deliberately designed to create ideal nesting surfaces for ground-breeding species.
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