Geography | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 54°38′14″N 8°46′00″E / 54.63722°N 8.76667°E |
Archipelago | North Frisian Islands |
Area | 0.074 km2 (0.029 sq mi) |
Length | 655 m (2149 ft) |
Width | 100 m (300 ft) |
Administration | |
Germany | |
State | Schleswig-Holstein |
District | Nordfriesland |
Municipality | Gröde |
Additional information | |
protected |
Hallig Habel (Danish: Habel, North Frisian: Haabel) is the smallest Hallig in the German Wadden Sea, and is a bird sanctuary. It is administered by the Gröde municipality on the neighbouring island. The surface area of Habel measures 7.4 hectares[1] with about 655 metres in length, and 100 metres width.
On this island there is an artificial dwelling hill called Norderwarft with a house that hosts an ornithological observatory during the summertime.[1] A second hill on the southern shore, Süderwarft, was abandoned in the 19th century and was then destroyed by the sea.
Habel is located in Protection Area 1 of the Schleswig Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. The common public must therefore not enter the island.[2] The island is owned by the state of Schleswig-Holstein and is leased by Verein Jordsand, a non-profit association for environmental protection with its seat in Ahrensburg.[1] Habel serves as breeding and resting grounds for many species of marine birds like the brant goose[2] and the Arctic tern.