Skagen Odde

Skagen Odde, also Skagens Odde, sometimes known in English as the Scaw Spit or The Skaw,[1] is a sandy peninsula which stretches some 30 km (19 mi) northeast and comprises the northernmost area of Vendsyssel in Jutland, Denmark.

[2][3][4] Skagen Odde is reported to be one of the largest spit systems in Europe, created by a continuous process of marine sand and gravel deposition, moved in a north-east direction by longshore currents.

[citation needed] Skagen Odde covers the narrow peninsula from Ålbæk in the south, to the area around Grenen in the northeast where the Skagerrak meets the Kattegat.

[3] Still in a state of flux, the peninsula was formed some 15,000 years ago when the ice melted around Vendsyssel creating a coastline stretching south to Frederikshavn.

[10] The northernmost point is located on Skagen Nordstrand, where currents bring sand to the Skagens Rev reef, causing it to grow (20–25 ft (6.1–7.6 m)) in an easterly direction every year while the western side is slowly eroded.

"[6] The particular flora and fauna are attributed to the Odde's sand and salt air climate.

[12] Birds gather at the Odde's "Lands-end", particularly during the spring breeding and autumn migration seasons.

[12] The area of Skagens Odde and Grenen works as a bottleneck, funnelling the migratory birds across the seas to Bohuslän in Sweden each spring.

[13][14][15] The Skagen Odde Nature Centre located near the northern tip is a museum devoted to the effects of sand, water, wind and light.