Photo: Magnus Canis·CC BY-SA 4.0· Wikimedia Commons
Islands / Nesodden / Nordre Skjælholmen
The smaller of the two Skjælholmene islets in the Bunnefjord (260 by 90 metres), owned by Oslo. Rich shoreline vegetation and seabirds.
Nordre Skjælholmen is the smaller of the two Skjælholmene, a pair of low islets out in the middle of the Bunnefjord. It lies north of its sister islet, around 260 metres long and 90 metres wide, with no houses and no trees. This is well inside the eastern arm of the fjord, between the east side of Nesodden and the Oppegård shore.
The whole island is protected as Nordre Skjælholmen nature reserve (2009); landing is prohibited from 15 April to 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.
The islets were called Skjærholmene before; the name was changed by a decision of the Norwegian Mapping Authority (Kartverket) in 1992. Nordre Skjælholmen is owned by the municipality of Oslo and has no known history of building, lighthouses or industry. It is a natural islet kept for its plant life and seabirds. The whole island became a nature reserve by royal decree on **19 June 2009**, as part of the conservation plan for the Oslofjord adopted in 2008.
The islet is a reserve for shoreline vegetation and nesting seabirds. It is used for quiet outdoor recreation outside the nesting season, but the protection comes first. The sea around the islet is not part of the reserve.
Private boat or kayak only; no ferry, no quay. **All access on land is prohibited from 15 April to 15 July**, the nesting season. Protection is law, so check the current regulation before coming alongside. If you want to go ashore in this group, Søndre Skjælholmen has a small quay on its north side.
Every square metre of the islet is protected. Nordre gained reserve status by royal decree in 2009, a year after its sister islet was brought into the conservation plan.
Oslo municipality owns both of the Skjælholmene, even though they lie in Nesodden.
Oslo Sea Experience passes Nordre Skjælholmen on its private fjord trips from Tjuvholmen.
The Norwegian version notes which facts were taken from each source: Nordre Skjælholmen på norsk.