When I first told my husband that I was travelling to Helgoland, he immediately started to tell me about the island’s fascinating military history & it’s having been used as a naval base during the two world wars. After WWII, the island was used as a bombing range – & most notably, a Royal Navy attack in 1947 created one of the most significant single non-nuclear detonations in history. Following British occupation, the island was finally returned to Germany in 1952. The history of the island is fascinating & well worth researching, but for my short time there it was all about the seals, the Seals of Helgoland.

The journey to Helgoland isn’t straightforward. From Heathrow we had the flight to Hamburg, then a car journey to Cuxhaven, & finally a boat to Helgoland. With stop-overs & connections, the travel time is quite lengthy, but as always, once you’re with the wildlife all that pales into insignificance. Continue reading →