The Bay of Mecklenburg – From Boltenhagen to Warnemünde
The Bay of Mecklenburg is the largest German bay on the Baltic Sea. The landscape varies widely, ranging from the spectacular cliffs of Großklützhöved near Boltenhagen and the lush green island of Poel to Kühlungsborn, with its sophisticated seaside resort architecture. When Detlef Wodars arrives at work, his first order of business is handing out affection: Simon, the water buffalo bull, gets extremely jealous if the young bull Rüdiger gets petted first. It is a very special day for the herd: for the first time, they are to be driven from the barn to a new pasture. Located in the middle of the Salzhaff lagoon near Rerik, the site—swampy and rich in reeds—offers an ideal habitat for these buffalo, which are native to Asia.
For Detlef Wodars, moving the animals to the new pasture is a real challenge; his sensitive animals cannot simply be driven—at best, they can be lured. The natural beach at Wohlenberger Wiek is extremely popular with swimmers. However, large amounts of washed-up debris—a mixture of seagrass and algae—accumulate in the semicircular bay. This is a real nuisance for the local municipality, as the material must be hauled away to prevent complaints from beachgoers. Martin Staemmler offers a potential solution. The entrepreneur is crazy about the seagrass; he views the foul-smelling, brownish mass from the sea as a valuable raw material and is working on developing a "turbo-fertilizer" from it.
Fisherman Kai Dunkelmann from Boltenhagen is battling fish thieves. Poachers regularly steal his catch from his fish traps. Filing numerous police reports has yielded no results. Now, Dunkelmann is lying in wait himself under the cover of darkness. The historic "Molli" steam train—which runs between Kühlungsborn, Heiligendamm, and Bad Doberan—has long been the exclusive domain of male train drivers. But Marie Albrecht, who is actually responsible for marketing, wants to change that.
She is currently training to become a train driver. Anyone boarding the MS "Salzhaff" ferry between Rerik and the island of Poel is in for a wet surprise upon arrival. After all, there is no landing stage on the island shore near Gollwitz! The final stretch to the beach involves wading through waist-deep water. Captain Nils Steußloff is often called upon to act as an onboard psychologist, too; he has to reassure passengers—especially older ladies—before the wet landing. Surfers from Rostock-Warnemünde rely on the power of larger ferries: the Scandinavian ferries generate an almost perfect bow wave for them every two hours—surfing by timetable is something you only find in the Bay of Mecklenburg.
Broadcasting on 18th of June 2026 at 09.00pm + on 21th of June 2026 at 11.30am on NDR/Radio Bremen/ARD
Music: POPVIRUS Library