What Ecomare does

Ecomare is a non-profit nature museum and marine wildlife center located in De Koog on the island of Texel, Netherlands, operated as part of Stichting Texels Museum (Texel Museum Foundation), alongside sister institutions Museum Kaap Skil, Oudheidkamer Texel, and Vuurtoren Texel. The facility combines a sea aquarium displaying dozens of Wadden Sea and North Sea species (including sharks, rays, and shellfish), a seal rescue and rehabilitation center, a bird shelter, and educational exhibitions such as the Wonderlijk Wad, Walviszaal, and Waddenstad. It operates on a hybrid conservation-and-tourism model: rescuing and rehabilitating stranded seals, porpoises, and seabirds for release, while delivering public education about the Wadden Sea ecosystem within the UNESCO-designated World Heritage site.

Ecomare serves families with children (primary segment), school groups, corporate group outings, and nature tourists — including international visitors via Dutch, English, and German-language offerings. Revenue is diversified across ticket admissions, a tiered membership program (Vriend van Ecomare starting at €24/year), donations (€10 "Bucket of Fish", seal adoption), corporate and individual sponsorships, an on-site self-service restaurant and gift shop, school programs, and group bookings (15% discount for parties of 15+). The center self-describes as not receiving structural government subsidies and depends on these mixed revenue sources.

The company holds regulatory licenses and certifications that confer credibility and tax advantages — including an RVO-issued Dutch zoo permit (Dierentuinvergunning), ANBI charitable status, CBF-keurmerk charity certification, Green Key Gold for sustainable tourism, and Duurzaam Gastvrij — and has invested in ESG infrastructure (LED lighting, geothermal heating/cooling, solar panels). Recent operational moves include the 2024 renovation of a former porpoise basin into a seal habitat, with additional bird pond and seal basin renovations planned for 2025. Visitor brand reputation is strong, evidenced by ~29,000 Google reviews at 4.5/5.0, the 2024 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award, and 4.7/5.0 across 1,544 Facebook reviews.

Name

Ecomare

Legal name

Stichting Texels Museum

Website

https://ecomare.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecomare is a non-profit nature museum and marine wildlife center on Texel island, Netherlands, operating aquariums, a seal rescue and rehabilitation facility, and a bird shelter. It serves families, school groups, corporate outings, and nature tourists through ticketed admissions, memberships, donations, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

De Koog, Texel

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ecomare generates revenue through admission tickets for individual visitors, families, and groups visiting the museum, aquarium, seal sanctuary, and outdoor areas.
2. Membership (Vriend van Ecomare): Annual membership program starting at €24 per year, offering members a newsletter, entrance ticket, and invitations to donor days.
3. Donations: Direct donations including 'bucket of fish' donations at €10 to support seal feeding, and adoption programs for seals.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsors provide financial and in-kind support. Ecomare does not receive structural government subsidies and depends on ticket revenues, project funding, donations, and sponsorships.
5. Restaurant and Catering: Self-service restaurant on-site serving visitors, with options for group bookings and events.
6. School Programs: Educational programs and excursions for schools with dedicated curriculum-aligned offerings.
7. Gift Shop: On-site gift shop selling merchandise with reasonably priced items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ecomare operates a nature museum, public sea aquarium, seal/porpoise rescue and rehabilitation center, and seabird shelter on Texel island, complemented by permanent exhibitions (Wonderlijk Wad, Walviszaal, Waddenstad) and guided Wadden Sea excursions. Visitors and groups purchase admission tickets, while the organization also offers school programs, annual memberships, donation/sponsorship programs, and on-site dining and merchandise.

Product overview

Ecomare is a nature museum and marine wildlife center on Texel island, Netherlands, operated by Stichting Texels Museum. It offers a unified visitor experience combining a museum, aquarium, and animal rescue center. The core attractions include the Sea Aquarium displaying dozens of marine species, the Wonderlijk Wad and Walviszaal exhibitions, and the Waddenstad research exhibition. Ecomare operates a seal rescue center for rehabilitation and release, a bird shelter, and provides various guided tours including mudflat excursions. The organization supports itself through ticket sales, donations, and membership programs (Vriend van Ecomare), with additional revenue from school programs, group visits, and corporate events. Animal sponsorship options include seal adoption and the 'bucket of fish' donation program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wonderlijk Wad (Wonderful Wadden Sea exhibition) Permanent interactive exhibition at Ecomare that introduces visitors to the unique tidal landscape and ecosystems of the Wadden Sea World Heritage site.
• Walviszaal (Whale Hall) Permanent exhibition at Ecomare displaying North Sea whale specimens and educational content about marine mammals, aimed at general visitors and school groups.
• Waddenstad Permanent exhibition at Ecomare presenting sea research, with visitors meeting scientists and exploring marine biology questions such as seagull diets and mussel predators.
• Zeeaquarium (Sea Aquarium) Core attraction at Ecomare featuring large open aquariums displaying dozens of marine species — fish, starfish, crustaceans, shellfish, sharks, and rays — from the Wadden Sea and North Sea.
• Zeehondenopvang (Seal Rescue Center) Marine wildlife rescue and rehabilitation service at Ecomare providing temporary shelter, care, and eventual release of seals and other marine animals back to the sea.
• Vogelopvang (Seabird Shelter) Wildlife care facility at Ecomare providing rehabilitation and release services for injured seabirds, including gannets.
• Excursies (Guided Tours) Paid guided tours offered at Ecomare, including mudflat (wad) excursions, seal walks, dune park walks, and explorations of sites such as Mokbaai, De Slufter, and De Cocksdorp, led by Ecomare and Staatsbosbeheer guides.
• Vriend van Ecomare (Friend of Ecomare membership) Annual membership program for individuals, starting at €24 per year, with optional monthly (min €2), quarterly (min €6), or annual (min €24) payment, providing a quarterly newsletter, monthly email updates, an entrance ticket, and donor day invitations.
• Zeehond Adoptie (Seal Adoption) Donation program at Ecomare allowing individuals to symbolically adopt a seal in the shelter, with options to name the animal and participate in its release back to the sea.
• Emmertje Vis (Bucket of Fish donation) Fixed-amount donation product at Ecomare where a €10 contribution provides fish food to feed one seal in the seal sanctuary for several days.
• Groepsbezoek (Group and Corporate Visits) Discounted group admission package at Ecomare for parties of 15 or more people, with a 15% discount on entrance fees and optional add-ons such as group lunch and excursions, sold to companies, organizations, and other groups.
• Programma's voor Scholen (School Programs) Curriculum-aligned educational programs at Ecomare designed for school groups, covering nature, marine biology, and environmental education.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stichting Texels Museum (Texel Museum Foundation)coreOthersEcomare is part of Stichting Texels Museum, which also includes Museum Kaap Skil, Oudheidkamer Texel, and Vuurtoren Texel. The foundation manages annual reports, policy plans, HR (including volunteer coordinator), and shared administrative functions.
• Staatsbosbeheer (State Forestry Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaatsbosbeheer guides excursions in the Mokbaai and De Geul area near Ecomare, providing guided nature tours that complement Ecomare's educational mission.
• NIOZ (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIOZ contributes scientific content and photography to Ecomare's educational materials, including information about Wadden Sea organisms like the nonnetje (sipunculid worm).
• Texelse Wilde Dierenwacht (Texel Wildlife Watch)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer network that assists with transporting injured small birds and mammals to Ecomare's shelter when animal care staff cannot perform pickups.
• Multiple corporate and individual sponsors (50+ entities)minorOthersSponsors including Bouhof, Bravilor Bonamat, Ventura Systems, Eudonet, Stichting Auxilium Caritas Foundation, De Krim Texel, Texelse Slijterij, EnergyProof, Expotise, Unisol Paneel, Gemeente Texel, Google Grants, Langeveld en de Rooy, JoHeath, Mondriaan Fonds, Stiehl, NIOZ, Opmeer Drukkerij, Parlevliet & van der Plas, Polybouw Keijser, Cultuurfonds, Triodos Foundation, Onventis, Mantje Texel, Bouw- en Timmerbedrijf Texel, Lions Texel, Stichting Dierenlot, STIFTexel, Stichting Nijdier, TESO, Texelfonds, Koning Boudewijnstichting, Tiktak/Segafredo Zanetti, Fonds NME, Unit 4, Vriendenloterij, Feenstra dakbedekking, Veth Investments, Videolux, Vrienden van Ecomare, Waddenfonds, ERIKS BV, Widenhorn, Wissel.nl, Zilte Zaken, Ticketcounter, Bruuzer Texel, Smartphoto, Texelse Bierbrouwerij, Deko Alarm & Beveiligingstechniek, Carnavalsvereniging De Schuimlikkers, Eijsink, KSP Kunstgras, Hercules Speeltoestellen, Transitio, Spinner & Langkous, Motivaction, Schröders, Pixfactory, De Jong Ursem, Bruynzeel Storage Systems, Bouwbedrijf Appelman, BÈTA industrie, Stichting ACSI Charity Foundation, Gravin van Bylandt Stichting, Bureau Baek, Boomgaard BV, CVI Texel, and Tessel Invest BV provide financial and in-kind support.
• RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland)coreOthersGovernment body that issues and reviews permits for animal enclosures and care facilities. Ecomare holds specific zoo permits for all animal care activities, reviewed against current animal welfare standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ouwehands Dierenpark: Established Dutch zoo with aquarium and marine mammal exhibits; comparable in offering a mixed zoo-aquarium visitor experience in the Netherlands.
• Burgers' Zoo: Large established Dutch zoo with aquarium, desert, and rainforest habitats; comparable as a paid-admission animal park in the Netherlands, though at significantly larger scale.
• Diergaarde Blijdorp: Major zoological garden in Rotterdam including aquarium and oceanium exhibits; comparable as a Dutch aquarium-and-zoo operator with conservation and education missions.

Direct peers

• Natuurcentrum Ameland: Nature center on the Wadden Sea island of Ameland focused on marine and coastal education; comparable in scale, mission, and island-based ecotourism model.
• Sea Life Scheveningen: Major public aquarium in the Netherlands showcasing North Sea marine species; comparable as a visitor-facing marine aquarium operator, though larger and more commercially oriented.
• Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen: Seal rescue and rehabilitation center on the Dutch Wadden Sea coast; directly comparable as a marine wildlife rescue facility combining animal care with public engagement and donations.

Others

• Texel Museum Kaap Skil: Sister museum within the same Stichting Texels Museum foundation; adjacent rather than competitive, sharing back-office functions and visitor cross-sell on Texel.

Emerging players

• Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Natural history museum in Leiden with live animal exhibits and biodiversity research; comparable as a Dutch natural history institution blending public exhibitions with science education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecomaretexel
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecomaretxt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecomare

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecomare