A vast sandy beach, metre-high dunes and a rich flora and fauna – all this characterises Spiekeroog. Here, pioneer plants help to protect against flooding and sandbanks free of human activity help to protect seals. Every year, the ‘greenest’ of the East Frisian islands attracts up to 100,000 visitors. Yet the island, located in the Wadden Sea National Park, has fewer than a thousand inhabitants. Among them are a beach researcher, a conservationist and a star photographer: author Herbert Ostwald accompanies them and other islanders on their adventures amid the sand, storms and tides.