Ytre Hvaler National Park

Ytre Hvaler National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Hvaler, Norway
Nearest city	Fredrikstad
Coordinates	59°N 11°E / 59°N 11°ECoordinates: 59°N 11°E / 59°N 11°E
Area	354 km^2 (137 sq mi), of which 14 km^2 (5.4 sq mi) is land 340 km^2 (130 sq mi) is water
Established	26 June 2009
Governing body	Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management

Ytre Hvaler National Park (Norwegian: Ytre Hvaler nasjonalpark) is a national park in Hvaler and Fredrikstad in Østfold, Norway. It is mostly a marine park, covering the outer parts of the skerries of the Oslofjord's east shore. To the south, the national park's border lies on the Norway–Sweden border next to Kosterhavet National Park. Ytre Hvaler covers an area of 354 km² (137 sq mi), of which 340 km² (130 sq mi) is sea and 14 km² (5 sq mi) is land. The park was established on 26 June 2009 and is the only marine national park in the country.^[1]

Settlements in the area may have been as old as the Bronze Age. The park is dominated by the coastal culture which has used the area for centuries, resulting in it including boathouses for fishing. Akerøya was settled between 1682 and 1807. There are more than 50 shipwrecks in the park, the most prominent being the frigate Lossen. Within the park are two lighthouses: Torbjørnskjær and Homlungen, both which are operated by the Norwegian Coastal Administration. The islands remain in use for grazing.^[2]

The park includes the Tisler Reef, a cold water coral reef, mostly of Lophelia.^[3] The Tisler Reef is the largest known coral reef in sheltered waters in Europe, and is located near the island of Tisler.^[2]

References

1. "FOR 2009-06-26 nr 883: Forskrift om vern av Ytre Hvaler nasjonalpark, Hvaler og Fredrikstad kommuner, Østfold" (in Norwegian). Lovdata. 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
2. "Ytre Hvaler nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
3. A Lophelia coral is depicted in white in the right side of the National Park logo.

External links