Photo: Kurt:S from oslo, norway·CC BY 2.0· Wikimedia Commons
Islands / Hvaler / Møren
Islet in the Hvaler archipelago that used to be a seabird reserve of its own, called Møren. The reserve was taken into Ytre Hvaler national park when the park was established in 2009.
Møren is a low islet in the Hvaler archipelago, in the northern part towards Vesterøy. No buildings; what you see is bare rock slabs, seaweed and seabirds. Stay well off, particularly in the nesting season. The islet belongs to the birds.
former seabird reserve, now part of Ytre Hvaler national park; check Naturbase for the access ban in the nesting season 15 April–15 July. The boundaries and the rules are in Naturbase, and they are worth checking before you land anywhere outside the marked areas.
private boat or kayak.
No scheduled boat comes here. You will have to find the nearest public quay yourself, and the rest is your own boat or a kayak. Check the wind and wave forecast before you set out; the open stretches in the outer fjord turn unpleasant in a fresh breeze.
Møren was a seabird reserve of its own in Hvaler, established to protect nesting seabirds on the outer islets. When Ytre Hvaler national park was established on 26 June 2009, Møren became one of four former seabird reserves taken into the new park, along with Akerøya, Heia and Søndre Søster. The protection carried over into a larger conserved area of 354 km², of which 340 km² is sea.
The islet is uninhabited and serves as a nesting site for seabirds inside the national park. There is no fixed use beyond what the protection sets out: the birds are to have it in peace.
Møren is reached only by private boat or kayak, and landing is normally banned in the nesting season. The access ban in the seabird reserves in Ytre Hvaler runs typically from 15 April to 15 July, but the dates and the boundaries are law, so look them up in Naturbase before approaching rather than guessing. Keep well clear of the islet through the whole nesting season.
Møren is one of four old Hvaler bird reserves folded into Ytre Hvaler national park in 2009. The bird protection came with it into the park.
It is one of the many low islets out here that look alike from the water and still carry their own status in law. Anchor in the wrong place in May and you are anchored in a bird reserve.
Oslo Sea Experience passes Møren on its private fjord trips from Tjuvholmen.
The Norwegian version notes which facts were taken from each source: Møren på norsk.