Endelave is a Danish island in the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

, north of

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

, off the coast of

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

, and west of

Samsø Samsø (Anglicized: "Samso" or "Samsoe") is a Denmark, Danish island in the Kattegat off the Jutland Peninsula. Samsø is located in Samsø municipality. The community has 3,724 inhabitants (2017) (January 2010:4,010) called ''Samsings'' and is ...

. The island covers an area of and has 185 inhabitants.

Nature and Protected areas

Endelave and its surrounding seaside is important for many birds, both on domestic and international levels and it is therefore a Ramsar area. The Ramsar protection is part of the Ramsar protection in Horsens Fjord and has number 152. The total area of the entire protection encompass 42,737 ha. The reef 'Møllegrunden' Northwest of the island is an important resting and breeding site for many

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

s in the

sea. The bay of Endelave is comprised by a large

intertidal zone The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...

similar to the

wadden sea The Wadden Sea ( ; ; or ; ; ; ) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tida ...

area. About ⅓ of the island itself is protected under the

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

plan, housing vulnerable and outstanding nature-types such as a heather

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...

thicket, a beach-

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

and

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

forests for example. Endelave is home to a population of

wild rabbit Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildlife, an undomesticated organism * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild ...

s of variable size. It is a locally distributed animal in Denmark, but where it is found the population is usually large. The rabbits on Endelave are hunted when in season and in the last few years, more than half of the total rabbit

bag A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...

in Denmark (a stable level of 5000 animal pro anno), was from Endelave. Stock of Game and Hunting-seasons in Denmark: The Biological Foundation for the Hunting-season-revision 2010
DMU (2009), p.77-78

Gallery

File:"Vadehavet" ved Endelave.jpg, The extensive

in the bay during ebb. File:Kaninhuller på Endelave.jpg, Rabbithole complex File:Lyngkrattet på Øvre.jpg, Heather moorland thicket File:Får og lam på Øvre.jpg, Beach meadow

References

Sources

Endelave
Danish Ministry of the Environment * Tageo.com, "VESTSJAELLAND DENMARK Geography Population" (coordinates), 2007, webpage

* Denmark Postal codes, webpage
Postnumre-DK
* Tele.dk Denmark detailed road map, webpage
Tele-DK-Danmark
Geography of Horsens Municipality Islands of Denmark Protected areas of Denmark Ramsar sites in Denmark Marine reserves Natura 2000 in Denmark Danish islands in Kattegat {{Denmark-island-stub Car-free islands of Europe

Nature and Protected areas

Gallery

See also

References

Sources