An attraction inside a museum? Yes, really! Natuurmuseum Fryslân in Leeuwarden has something truly unique: an exciting attraction for ages 4 and up that takes you on a journey through the underwater world of the Netherlands!
The Netherlands is a land of water, with ditches and lakes teeming with coots, frogs and mosquitoes. We know what goes on above the surface, but what about the world beneath the water? And what does life look like at the bottom of the Wadden Sea? It is a hidden world that would normally require a diving suit to explore.
If you’re curious about life beneath the surface, you can discover it for yourself on the OnderWaterSafari. Dive below the water without getting your feet wet! A specially designed vehicle takes you on a journey from the fresh water of ditches and lakes to the salt water of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea. Let the current carry you along as you search for the Big Five of the Netherlands’ underwater world: the otter, beaver, catfish, seal and harbour porpoise!
Tickets
The OnderWaterSafari is part of the museum and can be booked as an optional extra with your museum ticket. It is not possible to buy a ticket for the OnderWaterSafari without also visiting the museum.
The attraction has limited capacity each day. To make sure you get a place, book a ticket with a time slot online via the Natuurmuseum Fryslân website.
Did you know?
- The OnderWaterSafari is an immersive experience: you and your group will have the underwater world all to yourselves.
- There are around 300 different animals and plants to discover, from ramshorn snails to harbour porpoises and everything in between.
- You might even spot a few humans in the underwater world!
- Everything in the OnderWaterSafari is real: the pike hiding in a car wreck is a real pike, and the car itself once actually drove on the road.
- A variety of environmental themes have been incorporated into the underwater world in a playful way, including pollution, the tension between recreation and nature, global warming and invasive species.
- The plastic waste on display really did come from the sea and was collected on the beach on Vlieland.
- At the Information Pavilion, you can discover all kinds of fascinating facts through some surprising figures. Did you know, for example, that 144 kilograms is the weight of the largest catfish ever caught?
The OnderWaterSafari has been made possible in part by significant contributions from the BankGiro Loterij, Provinsje Fryslân and several charitable funds. Wetterskip Fryslân is a partner of the OnderWaterSafari.
