An inter-tidal zone that stretches 450 kilometres along the North Sea coast from Den Helder in the Netherlands to Esbjerg in Denmark and includes the estuary zones of the German coast, the Wadden Sea covers an area of around 10,000 square kilometres. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 26 June 2009, the site is one of the last remaining natural, large-scale, intertidal zones where natural processes continue largely undisturbed.
The Wadden Sea is an extremely vast, temperate coastal wetland ecosystem. It covers a multitude of transitional habitats with tidal channels, sand bars, mudflats, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, sandy shoals, beaches and dunes.
The site is home to around 2,300 species of flora and at least 4,200 species of fauna. The marine mammals in the Wadden Sea include the harbour seal, the grey seal and the harbour porpoise.
The site is also of international importance as a breeding, staging, moulting and wintering ground for birds. The availability of food and a low level of disturbance are essential factors contributing to this ecological function. Each year, between 10 and 12 million birds pass through the property, of which as many 6 million may be present at one time.
Jaeger-LeCoultre invites you to view the photo reports and videos on the Wadden Sea starting October 15, 2009 on the websites of The New York Times and International Herald Tribune.
At any time, you can learn about the marine sites supported under the Tides of Time partnership, reread the IHT articles and listen to interviews with Jérôme Lambert, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Francesco Bandarin, Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, by clicking here.
Through its global “Making Time More Beautiful” project, Jaeger-LeCoultre is committed to supporting various local and international causes linked to sustainable development. With this in mind, Jaeger-LeCoultre luxury watch has entered into a three-year partnership with the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and with the International Herald Tribune in order to provide support for various endangered sites.
The first year of the partnership has seen the implementation of some ambitious projects: eight sites have already been supported and public awareness has been heightened with regard to the threats facing these regions.
This first year also witnessed the birth of the Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm "Tides of Time" watch, of which the “Number 1” prototype was auctioned for the sum of £13,540. All proceeds from this sale were donated to the Tubbataha Marine Park, which has been inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1993. This donation will serve to renew the site’s radar system which monitors the comings and goings of ships in the waters of the park.
