Grey seals at four or five metres, curious enough to come and look at you, over a boulder-and-sand bottom, in one of the few…Grey seals at four or five metres, curious enough to come and look at you, over a boulder-and-sand bottom, in one of the few places in the Baltic where you can reliably get in the water with them. Above the surface it is one of Europe's important seabird sites. Vilsandi began as a bird reserve in 1910, making it one of the oldest protected areas in Europe, and became a national park in 1993. Grey seals were hunted to near-collapse in the Baltic and the population is still recovering, which is why the haul-outs are protected. Anchorage: Shallow, rock-strewn water throughout the park, pilotage matters more than depth here. Kihelkonna and Papissaare are the access points. Hazards: Cold water and shoal ground; the park has restricted zones in the bird nesting season. Altro