Western Scheldt

Unlike the Eastern Scheldt estuary, it could not be closed off from the sea by a dam as part of the Delta Works.

Following an agreement between the Dutch and Belgian governments in 1995, many of the wrecks have been removed to improve shipping access to Antwerp.

The largest wreck, which was removed in June 2003, was that of the 131-metre (430 ft) long Alan-A-Dale, sunk in December 1944 during the Second World War by a German Biber midget submarine.

The double-decker car ferries that serviced the two Western Scheldt crossings until 2003 were sold to Italian companies.

The service initially used former car ferries, but as of 2 May 2004 it employs two "small waterplane area twinhulls" (swaths, similar to catamarans), built at the Royal Schelde Group in Vlissingen (Flushing), and named Prins Willem Alexander and Prinses Máxima.