Celebes Sea

Diving in Zeeland
Zeeland is a sparsely populated province in The Netherlands, made up of number of peninsulas. The Grevelingenmeer (lake), the Veerse lake and the Oosterschelde offer interesting diving opportunities for divers not adverse to a little cold. The Westerschelde is a busy shipping route and quite polluted, yet even here you will find some pretty spots.

The Grevelingenmeer
In the Delta Works scheme the bay of Grevelingen was closed off from the sea by the Grevelingendam (1965) and the Brouwersdam (1971). This formed the Grevelingenmeer – the largest saltwater lake in Western Europe – which is primarily used for recreation. The salinity of the lake is controlled by a lock in the Brouwersdam, which enables seawater to enter. The depth varies from 9 to 45 meters. Prawns, barnacles and starfish thrive in the Grevelingenmeer. Since 2001 cement reef balls, which were placed in the water near Scharendijke, have provided a home for much marine life.

The Oosterschelde
The Oosterschelde is a river mouth which, since 1986, can be completely shut off from the sea by the Oosterschelde dyke. Since 2002 the Oosterschelde has been a national park. The marine life is extremely varied and abundant, for many species it is an important nursery. Marine life thrives primarily near the solid dykes but can also be found on the sandy seafloor.

The Veerse Lake
The Veerse Lake is a manmade, brackish water lake, which was formed by the damming of the Veerse Gat by the Delta Works scheme. The water is brackish, with a varying salinity. Since 2004 salt water has been allowed in from the Oosterschelde, by which the salinity and, therefore also, the marine life is increasing. The Veerse Lake is one of the few spots in The Netherlands where you will find the white-tipped mud crab, tubeworms and electra crustulenta (eel food).  About 12,000 trout are released into the lake annually - half are rainbow trout and the other half, brown trout. The usually non-tidal water provides relatively easy diving.

The Westerschelde
The Westerschelde is the mouth of the polluted Schelde River and provides access to the harbour of Antwerp. Therefore, this bay is not closed off by the Delta Works scheme. Despite the pollution and the shipping there are a few nice places to dive. Near the Katshoek dive spot the growth is excessive. Here you will find many lobsters and crabs. There are also many wrecks to be found in the Westerschelde, a few of which are accessible from the shore.

Zeeland Summary
Diving in Zeeland means dark, cold water and surprising marine life. The diving is challenging, you will have to deal with varying water levels with, in general, limited visibility.