White fluffy seals
An adventurous boat ride
Heligoland—a beautiful German island we’ve written about before—continues to captivate us. Located far out in the North Sea, it’s a place we love revisiting. No cars, no bikes, few people, abundant nature, and fresh air—what more could one ask for?
This time, our winter photography destination was Düne, Heligoland’s smaller neighboring island, renowned for its large seal population. Why visit in winter? Because that’s when seals give birth, and their pups linger on the beaches for weeks. Born with a soft, fluffy coat, these young seals cannot swim until they shed their fur, which eventually allows them to venture into the sea like the adults.
In December many mother seals are either about to give birth or have just done so and most seal pups still have their fluffy coats, creating incredible photography opportunities. With this in mind we boarded a ferry in Cuxhaven on a Saturday morning, bound for Heligoland. Unlike in spring, when multiple ferries operate, only the more robust ferry was running—something we soon understood. A storm was brewing.
As we sailed, the wind reached speeds of 70 km/h, with gusts of up to 100 km/h. Waves towered more than 2 meters high, sending the boat into a constant dance. Our stomachs, along with those of many others, weren’t as enthusiastic. The lively chatter in the lounge quickly faded, replaced by the sound of queasy passengers. Feeling the effects ourselves, we closed our eyes, hoping to pass the time as painlessly as possible.
After two and a half hours of turbulent travel, we finally arrived on Heligoland. Though pale and shaken, we were relieved to disembark with our stomachs intact. As soon as we stepped onto solid ground, the queasiness vanished, and our seal adventure could begin—or so we thought.
Photographing seal babies
Monday morning brought a setback. Winds had intensified since our arrival, making it impossible to sail to Düne. Even the ferry from Cuxhaven was canceled. What now? We decided to explore Heligoland itself and, to our delight, stumbled upon a small stretch of beach on the island’s north side. There we found not only sand, but also several seals with their pups! It was an unexpected gift. Grabbing our cameras we settled on the beach and began photographing the adorable, active pups. Their playful energy provided endless opportunities for great shots.
As the days passed the wind calmed and the boat to Düne resumed service. We made the short trip several times, enjoying unforgettable encounters with the young seals. Fences had been erected on the beaches to protect visitors from the occasionally aggressive mothers, which presented some challenges for photography. Capturing images without bars in the background required creativity, but the pups often came close to the fence, allowing us to take several close-ups.
In the end, our trip to Heligoland was a great success. Feeling refreshed and grateful for the beautiful moments we had experienced, we boarded the ferry back on Friday afternoon. This time the sea was calm and the return journey was as serene as we’d hoped. While a stormy sea is an adventure in itself, we must admit—we prefer smooth sailing.
Mom and her baby
Relaxing seal baby
