Noorderhaaks

Noorderhaaks (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌnoːrdərˈɦaːks]), also called Razende Bol (Raging sandbank in Dutch; in modern Dutch Bol means sphere, but in this context the old Dutch meaning of sandbank is meant[1]), is an uninhabited Dutch island[2] in the North Sea, a few kilometres west of the Marsdiep which separates the island of Texel from the mainland of the Netherlands. The island covers an area of around 5 km², although the exact area varies due to tide and the dynamic nature of the area.

Noorderhaaks
Noorderhaaks seen from the mainland
Geography
Coordinates52°58′30″N 4°40′50″E
Archipelago(West) Frisian Islands
Adjacent toNorth Sea
Administration
Netherlands
ProvinceNorth Holland
MunicipalityTexel
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited

Being relatively untouched by man, the island has become a valuable location due to its presence of several kinds of seabirds, and seals.

The island is slowly moving eastward towards the Marsdiep and the Molengat, at a pace of around 100 metres a year.[2] Noorderhaaks is probably the sixth sand bar to develop in the mouth of the Marsdiep, since it formed in the late twelfth century via a flood that occurred in 1170. The previous five have also moved towards Texel and got accreted to the island, with intervals of approximately 150 years each.[3]

The island is visited by day trippers, and is also being used as a training ground for the Royal Dutch Navy and Air Force.

  • Satellite photo, taken circa 1992
    Satellite photo, taken circa 1992
  • Stranded humpback whale (2012)
    Stranded humpback whale (2012)
  • Time-lapse (1984-2017)
    Time-lapse (1984-2017)

References
  1. (in Dutch) "Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal", 1893.
  2. (in Dutch) "Zandplaat De Razende Bol voortaan eiland", Nederlands Dagblad, 2003.
  3. (in Dutch) Vos, A.D. (2012); Onderwaterarcheologie op de Rede van Texel Archived 2015-02-08 at the Wayback Machine, Nederlandse Archeologische Rapporten 041 (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, Amersfoort), p. 37-47.


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