Eckelsudde

Animal and plant protection area

Eckelsudde, together with Beijershamn, is the best site along the west coast of Öland for resting and migrating birds and at the same time the site of a harbor seal colony of 50-80 seals, which corresponds to a quarter of the harbor seal population in Kalmarsund. The colony also includes gray seals.

Rich bird life

Eckelsudde is one of the best bird locations along the west coast of Öland and many birds nest and rest here. The nesting species include gadwall, pintail, avocet, dunlin and snipe. In special conditions, thousands of wading birds such as oystercatchers, ringed plovers and curlews can rest. Cattle grazing on the land keeps the grass and herbaceous vegetation well managed, creating opportunities for many wading birds to find food and nesting sites.

Unique harbor seals

The seal population has been severely affected by environmental toxins, hunting and disease during the 20th century, but the situation is now looking a little brighter. The Kalmarsund harbour seals are genetically different from all other harbour seals in Europe. They are descendants of the Baltic harbour seal, which colonized the area 8,000 years ago and today remains as a remnant at the three sites Eckelsudde, Värnanäs and Abrahamsäng. The main diet of adult harbor seals consists of a large number of fish species that are mainly caught in connection with vegetation-free, shallow bottoms, and an adult seal eats 5 kg of fish a day.

Seal haul-outs

Pups are born from late May to early July, with a peak in mid-June. Unlike all other seal species, harbor seals do not have a pelt. This is an adaptation to allow the pout to swim and dive almost immediately after birth. The female nurses her calf for 3-4 weeks and, because seal milk is very fatty and nutritious, the calf grows from an average of just under 9 kg to over 25 kg during these weeks. After that, the calf leaves its mother and is left to fend for itself. Remember that a seemingly abandoned seal pup is not abandoned at all. The mother is often somewhere nearby!