April 28 marks the official opening of the 20th edition of the International Sand Sculpture Festival in Scheveningen (April 29 - June 27).

Seven specialised carvers from the World Sand Sculpting Academy are depicting endangered animal species using more than 300 tonnes of special sculpturing sand.

This year's theme is "Save Our Planet" and visitors can donate one euro by sending a text message to WWF to support the fundraising campaign "Verdubbel Natuur." 

The Sand Sculpture Festival in Scheveningen began in 1991 as the first European sand works festival and today, is the longest-running sand sculpture festival in the world attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

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