Waaltje

The Waaltje (common name; Dutch for Little Waal) is a dammed river in the western Netherlands, southeast of Rotterdam.

Ever since this section of the Waal was dammed, IJsselmonde also encompasses the Zwijndrechtse Waard (see map to the right).

The Waaltje connected to the Noord through the old port of Ambacht and a lock that enabled riverboats to pass the Oostendam until the 20th century.

More recently, the old port of Ambacht has also been dammed on the northeast side, transforming it into another enclosed section of the old Waal.

Recently the diving school Before the corals has started operating in the vicinity of het Waaltje.

Map of present-day IJsselmonde with the Waaltje as a dashed line, separating the former island Zwijdrechtse Waard from the historic extent of IJsselmonde.
Panoramic view of the Waaltje between Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht and Oostendam . The pedestrian bridge on the left was built in the 1970s.