The Underwater Safari

Exhibition

until 21 September 2025


Are you going under water with me?

An attraction in a museum? Yes, it really is: the Nature Museum Fryslân in Leeuwarden has something unique: a dazzling attraction (accessible for 4+) that takes you through the underwater world of the Netherlands!

The Netherlands is a land of water with ditches and puddles full of coots, frogs and mosquitoes. We know what's going on above water, but what about the world below? And what does life look like at the bottom of the Wadden Sea? It is an unknown world that can only be explored with a diving suit on.

If you are curious about life under water, you can…

An attraction in a museum? Yes, it really is: the Nature Museum Fryslân in Leeuwarden has something unique: a dazzling attraction (accessible for 4+) that takes you through the underwater world of the Netherlands!

The Netherlands is a land of water with ditches and puddles full of coots, frogs and mosquitoes. We know what's going on above water, but what about the world below? And what does life look like at the bottom of the Wadden Sea? It is an unknown world that can only be explored with a diving suit on.

If you are curious about life under water, you can now go on UnderWaterSafari. You take a dive below the surface of the water, without getting your feet wet. In a special vehicle you make a journey from the fresh water of ditches and puddles to the salt water of the Wadden Sea World Heritage. Let yourself be carried away by the current and look for the Big Five of the underwater world of the Netherlands: the otter, beaver, catfish, seal and porpoise!

Tickets
The OnderWaterSafari is an attraction with a certain capacity per day. To be sure of a spot, book tickets with time slot online via www.natuurmuseumfryslan.nl

Facts
* the UnderwaterSafari is a total experience: you are all alone in the underwater world with your group
* there are about 300 different animals and plants to see, from posthorn snail to porpoise and everything in between
*there are even a few people in the underwater world
*In the UnderwaterSafari, everything is real: the pike hiding in a car wreck is a real pike in a car that has actually driven around
*all kinds of themes have been incorporated in the underwater world in a playful way, such as pollution, the tension between recreation and nature, global warming and exotics
* the plastic soup really comes from the sea and is collected on the beach of Vlieland
*in the Info Pavilion you will come across a lot of fun facts by means of all kinds of crazy numbers: 144 kilograms is the weight of the largest catfish ever caught.

The OnderWaterSafari was made possible in part by significant contributions from the BankGiro Loterij, Provinsje Fryslân and various funds. Wetterskip Fryslân is a partner of De OnderWaterSafari.