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From it's humble origins as rivulets in the Black Forest of Germany,
the Danube carries the rich earth of Europe to grow the expansive Danube
Delta by an additional 40 metres each year.
Near the river port town of Tulcea, the Danube splits into three
river arms to continue making Europe's newest land. The Chilia,
Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe (Saint George) arms provide channels for
the main form of transport in the Delta, the boat.
Many other less navigable channels run through the Delta into areas
with reed, marshes, islands and forests, some of which are flooded during
the spring and autumn.
The Danube Delta of Romania hosts 5100 species of plants and animals,
over half of Europe's fish species, the world's largest reedbeds,
and the biggest pelican population north of Africa.
The UNESCO World Heritage area and the Danube Delta Biosphere
Reserve protect Europe's largest "Wetland of International Importance",
according to the UN.
Take it Easy!
One of the more civilised ways to enjoy all the Danube Delta has
to offer is aboard one of the floating hotels which ply the main channels.
A seafood dinner is a surety, and you'll enjoy your after dinner time
listening to the rich orchestra of tree frogs and night herons in the
background as you later float off to slumber.
Because the Danube Delta has been bypassed now by the Black Sea
Canal further south at Constanţa, the entire
Delta region is now protected from the bulk container ship traffic which
link Europe with the world.
Birdwatchers/Birders in particular will revel in the beauty
of the Danube Delta as they take in the largest populations of pygmy
cormorants in the world, along with the white-tailed eagles, waterfowl,
and songbirds too, thanks to the rich variety of the habitats across
the delta country.
If you have some information for us about the Danube Delta or County
Tulcea, please
Let us know about it now!
The Danube runs through five countries from the
Black Forest of Germany through Austria, Hungary and Serbia on it's
way to Romania, which has a third of it's 2860km run to the
Danube Delta. The river also forms a border for 5 other
countries.
It doesn't matter how short or how long your foray into the delta
is, be assured of one thing: it will be by boat!
Whether you're heading out for a fishing expedition, a bird watching
trip, or just heading downriver to stay at a sweet pension at
Sfântu Gheorghe or Sulina, there are a few common
requisites for any journey, foremost amongst them in the summer months
being mosquito repellent!
Once you have that slathered on, your trip through the Danube Delta
will be much more civilised.
If you are staying for any length of time on your own, fishing,
camping, or canoeing/kayaking thought the delta, you should pick up
your "civilisation" supplies at Tulcea (or, for limited items, at Sulina).
Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe do not have banks
or ATMs either, so have plenty of cash. Seriously, just
don't forget.
Items like candles, tinned food, batteries, cheese, and sanitary
goods should be packed before hitting the delta, because the small villages
dotted throughout the delta rarely have large stocks of anything beyond
bread, eggs, vegetables and some fruits. Life in the delta is
after all about fish, fish, and more fish, with maybe a salad and some
bread on the side!
And that cash you get at Tulcea to take with you will be handy if
you do need something substantial whilst in the delta.
You can be prepared to pay a fairly considerable premium, and it's
likely to be more of a private sale than at the corner store.
Whether you end up wanting to hire a fishing boat with a guide, or realise
you completely forgot good toilet paper, having a fair amount of cash
on you is particularly smart in the Danube Delta.
Please remember you are not in Kensington, Balmain, Sausalito or
Queenstown here. If you're staying in a private home or guest
house, your menu will consist of fish, and possibly some chicken.
You may wish to ensure your fish is well cooked if you prefer it that
way, rather than on-point as Romanians generally prefer.
Some English-speaking travellers will report stomach troubles from
drinking the delta water without sufficiently boiling it first.
Any off-the-shelf water purifying tablet or filter system is fine for
the delta water when properly used. Do note that while the
hardy locals have had generations to get used to the various organisms
in the local water, you are a new-comer, and you will not have been
exposed to at least half of the various little bugs in the water.
So, pick up a goodly amount of bottled water in Tulcea, and
be fairly strict with how adventurous you become as far as eating and
drinking. Food well cooked is no problem, but for fruits and vegetables,
it's best to buy them yourself and cut them yourself after washing in
a little of your own water just to be extra-sure.
Of course, food properly prepared aboard any of the floating hotels
rarely causes any problems with travellers any more than a hotel restaurant
in Bucharest would.
The kitchens, although amazingly small, indeed know exactly
how to cook and treat the day's catch so it comes to the table completely
irresistible. If meals are not included on your boat, do note
that some pricing can be per 100g, rather than per portion, so be judicious
when ordering. We've all heard the tale of the 800g Pike Perch
being served to an unsuspecting Texan!
The most successful trips into the Delta are made with the knowledge
of what to expect down each of the three main arms of the Danube river
delta.
Each of the northern, central and southern portions of the Danube
Delta hold their own particular treasures and amenities, and it really
depends on your interests as to which arm you choose (allow at least
a few days if you can for each, a week for two or more).
A Green, Green Expanse
Forested zones on the banks extend through
the Delta margin areas
Some say the trip is about the journey and not the destination.
This homily falls apart with the northern-most arm of the Danube Delta,
because it is where the ferry ends it's journey, stopping first at
Chilia Veche, and then at Periprava
that the real fun begins.
The Chilia Arm partly forms the border with the Ukraine to the north
and despite the relief afforded by the capacious Danube to Black Sea
canal at Constanţa well to the south, it sees
90% of the heavy ship traffic plying the route between the Black Sea
and the ports of Galaţi and Brăila
inland.
It's the Letea forest on the
Haşmac of Letea which draws
the true connoiseurs of travel, with it's wonderful oak forests, perched
so improbably in the middle of marine fields and reedbeds.
South of Periprava a few kilometres, this national park has been protected
since 1938 as part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
Check in to your guesthouse in the village of Letea and get ready
to explore this expansive and richly varied area full of wildlife and
plant life, including distinctly rainforest-looking zones.
You can greatly enhance your stay here by getting one of the experienced
guides to show you the best parts from around
for the better part of a day; less experienced locals can be had for
perhaps
but as always, arrange where you are going, for how long and how you
are getting there in advance.
If you have dismally failed to book any of your time in Romania
on the nation's fabulous
golden sand beaches, you can at least see the sun rise on the mainland
European Union at Sulina.
At
long, the Sulina arm is by far the quickest way to make it to the Black
Sea from Tulcea, and indeed, there are a few
interesting stops along the way. You can take one of the
fast hydrofoil style catamarans down the river in about 2 hours, but
if you're interested in stopping for some birding, fishing or soaking
up the beauty of the Delta on the way, take the slower passenger ferry.
All Ashore!
Your reasons for getting off the ferry on the way to Sulina will
depend on the arrangements you have made to satisfy your need to learn,
fish, watch birds, or just enjoy nature.
If you interested in less boat time, and more sight-seeing time,
get of at one of the first stops out of Tulcea, at Partizani, where fishing is king on the
little lakes there, or Maliuc, which has pensions, a hotel, camping
and is a favourite of bird-watchers for the rich habitat there and to
the north at Lake Furtuna.
Crişan, about halfway
down the arm has a bevy of B&Bs with rather reasonable rates (in the
15 - 45nightly range), and you can find similarly priced lodging at
Mila 23(they resisted
re-naming this to Kilometru 37 all through the metric conversion phase),
on the old section of the river now bypassed by the new canal,
as well. If you are stopping at Crişan
to continue your journey on another boat south to the
forested island of Caraorman, do try to allow
time to stop in at the Delta Reserve's information centre, which has
displays on the flora and fauna of the delta, as well as a short video
presentation.
Sulina on the Sea
Sulina is the end
of the line for the all of the Danube Delta, and despite an additional
40 metres being added annually, the ferries and boats go no further
than the Sulina docks. Once a thriving international
free port and centre of culture, Sulina's history is worth checking
out at the lighthouse and museum there. The beaches are used by
locals and some Romanians, but are nowhere near as crowded as the better
known strips like Mamaia
to the south.
Going south-east out to the fishing community of
Sfântu Gheorghe along the arm of the Danube River of the same
name is probably the most varied of the three main arms of the river.
The Delta hosts 1689 varieties of plants and 3448 species of animals,
of which 325 are birds and 125 are fish, over half of Europe's total
fish species! Indeed a natural wonderland!
The Danube Delta has been entered onto the UNESCO list of World
Heritage Sites (1991) and Biosphere reserves. Around 2,733 km˛ of it
are strictly protected area, and as a nation, Romanian's are very proud
of their unique and treasured delta.
Alighting here annually are millions of birds from all points of
the compass (European, Asian, African, Mediterranean), where they come
to rest, feed, nest, mate and hatch in the long season.
The Danube Delta, "one of the last sanctuaries of nature" is often
called the wild paradise. In an area with a surface of 4,200 sq. km,
the presence of 3,400 species of the aquatic fauna has been recorded
so far, amounting to 98 percent of the European species.
The little plauri islands shelter rich fauna, and riverine
forests with willows and poplars host a rich diversity of mammals including
the fascinating raccoon dog, minks, otters, the black-bellied fox and
more.
A diverse palette of sandy beaches, muddy beaches, wet and
dry meadows, rocky regions and sand flats are dotted with de facto islands
with dense forests and meadows.
As a result of efforts by Jacques Cousteau among others, and with
UNESCO support, the importance of the Danube Delta as a "wild area"
was recognised in its consecration as a Biosphere Reservation.
From Mongolia to Norway, Finland to Africa, the Danube Delta is
an important stopping-off point at the intersection of major migration
routes across Europe, Africa and Asia. The Danube Delta hosts
the largest congregation of pelicans outside of Africa each year.
Out of the 325 bird species recorded in the Danube Delta, 177 nest
here, some which protected by law, including the White and Dalmatian
Pelicans, the Great White and Little Egrets, the Mute Swan, Red Breasted
Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Avocet and many other species.
Birds here come from near and far, from the local white-tailed and
gray-bald eagles, to seagulls, nightingales, and the Danubian Falcon.
As far as Mongolia come the common pelicans, as well as Dalmatian
pelicans and pygmy cormorants, with egrets, swans, spoonbills coming
in from China. Further north, the arctic red-breasted goose arrives
in the Delta each year, as does the Siberian singing swan, black duck
and the rather stately Siberian cranes.
The Dalmatian Pelican
The Pelecanus crispus on the wing
and in the nest in the Danube Delta.
Rather interestingly, there are green signs in each village which
tell bird-watchers the particular species to expect in the area.
This, and a network of 65 viewing platforms built throughout the villages
of the delta, make the area a birding-friendly zone indeed!
Going in to the rich habitat of the Danube Delta, your birding expedition
will be hosted by an entourage of Common Terns, Red-Footed Falcons,
White Wagtails and veritable clouds of Rollers and Cuckoos.
With your first view of an adult White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus
albicilla) on one of the
forested Haşmac islands covered with oaks
and elm trees swooping down on a little water snake or other prey, you
will know you have indeed come to the right place! Whilst
at home along the Black Sea margins, the White-Tailed Eagle particularly
favours the Romanian Danube River Delta for it's rich prey opportunities.
Where the marshes are shallow, you will delight in the Squacco Herons,
Great White Egret (Egretta alba), Little egret (Egretta
garzetta), and the stunning golden and verdigris sheen of the Glossy
Ibis along the way.
Look the other way and observe flyovers in one of the most congested
air corridors on the planet. Rumour has it that on of the
signature birds of the Delta, the pygmy cormorants (Phalacrocorax
pygmaeus), are actually in charge of air traffic control here!
By River or By Road
To boat or not to boat is a valid question when considering a birding
holiday. Roads to lead south from Tulcea along the Danube Delta
Margin villages, offering plenty of bird-watching opportunities.
Let's face it, not everyone loves being on a boat, so several organised
tours can take you south and south-west from Tulcea via maxi-taxi, car
or bus to Murighiol, Badabag and even as far south as Istria, where
you can still catch some great species, and not have to leave (mostly)
dry land.
The marginal lands around
Enisala, in particular
just north of the old citadel
of Heracleia there have some fun birding opportunities. There
is some sort of bee-keeper commune near that citadel, which results
in tonnes of bee-eaters swarming the area. Warblers, waders
and terns love this marginal area, as do the various geese, herons and
as always, pelicans, depending on their mood and season.
TOP TIP: If you want to spend some
time in this area, check out the
Gura
Portiţei mini-resort, 15km across the lake and next to the
Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
If you do prefer to explore by boat, other than one of the organised
tours or floating hotels, renting a boat from a local fisherman is indeed
generally cost-effective and can be a quick and easy way to get out
into those reed-beds.
Often times, the guy will have a son who will take you out to the
good spots for a relatively small sum (maybe
) when compared with the cost of organised birding expeditions.
In fact, over half of the planet's cormorants congregate in
cacophonous clouds over the Danube Delta's rich feeding grounds.
Sixty percent of the world's pygmy cormorants come to the Baltic
nations' prime wetlands each year, covering the sky and water with their
lustrous black plumage. The rather splendid Red-breasted
goose (Branta ruficollis) is another signature bird for the
delta with almost all of the world's threatened species (about 55,000)
wintering in the delta each year.
Depending on the year, the Danube Delta can host over 750,000 white-fronted
geese (Anser albifrons), although that can wane dramatically
on "off" years. Much fewer are the 500 or so lesser white-fronted
goose (A. erythropus) seen in the delta lands.
You'll hear the songs of the Golden Oriole, Common Redstart and
at your breakfast table as you gaze across to a Grey-headed Woodpecker
or a Black Woodpecker perching on a nearby riverbank cottonwood tree.
Be quick to turn as from the corner of your eye you see the bright turquoise
flash of a little Kingfisher, the whir of wings of the Eurasian Hobbies
and check the trees for Penduline Tits and Grey Bitterns as you make
your way through the channels of the Delta.
The more you penetrate into the reed bed areas, the more waterbirds
you will delight in seeing. Red-necked Grebes will be as
common as the reeds themselves, joined by the odd Little Grebe, Coots,
Moorhens, Black winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) along
with Greylag Geese, and enough ducks to keep things lively.
Depending on the time of year you decide to enjoy the delta, breeding
plumage can be seen on the Black-crowned Night Herons, and almost as
if Walt Disney had placed them there to delight you on a fake Danube
Delta fun ride, the Pygmy and Great Cormorants will sit on the branches
overhanging the little channel you are chugging along, completely unphased
by you gawking at them, with Grey Herons and Purple Herons popping up
alongside the boat regarding you more as an annoyance than a threat.
This is indeed bird-land, and you are the interloper here!
In fact, if you are a Disney fan, you may be interested to note
that the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (DWCF) helped to build a
retaining wall for one of the pelican habitats in the delta, at Lake
Sinoe.
Sometimes boats follow each other through some of the side canals,
so if you are indeed an avid birder, do ensure you're in the first boat,
because that is the one which often causes birds to take flight.
You don't want anything to interfere with seeing a few Red-crested Pochards,
Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) or Red-necked Grebes or
Water Rails off the bow. In addition to the larger iconic
White-Tailed Eagle, you can also see the Lesser Spotted Eagle and Honey
Buzzard too.
The Haşmac of Letea
is home to Europe's largest nesting colony of White pelican (Pelecanus
onocratulus), with 2,500 pairs comprising 50% of the Palaearctic
breeding population.
Depending on the weather conditions and area of the delta, you may
or may not see pelicans, as they do tend to move about depending on
whether there has been recent flooding, the season, and seemingly, just
their moods.
If only life were as kind to the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus
crispus) as the more numerous White cousin. Surveys in 2005
and 2006 counted only 150 pairs, perhaps now there are only 25-40 pairs
on the floating islands on lake Hrecisca, which represents 5% of the
world population.
Main habitats for the Dalmatian Pelican in the Danube Delta are
Roşca-Buhaiova, Lejai Lake, Goloviţa-Bisericuţa, Sinoie-Ceaplace Isle,
and the Sinoie-Prundul cu Păsări Isles. The little island of Ceaplace
is home to what was the third largest colony in Europe. Wave erosion
had robbed the 1200 or so nesting pairs of much of the island's area,
and conservation work (a series of wood retaining walls) has helped
to slow the decline in nesting habitat. Do ask locally if you
would like to see these pelicans.
Red fish, blue fish, you'll see them all in a region which boasts
more than half of all of Europe's fish species!
After the birds of the Delta come the 75 species of fish, as the
blue of the sky and the green of the water meet to form the two halves
of the Danube Delta biosphere!
The Danube Delta pike enjoy the open water of Fortuna Lake, the
Sontea channel, and around Holbina, most numerous from early July through
to late November. You can usually manage around 1 kilo catches,
although in late summer for some reason, 2 and 3 kilos is not unusual.
Pike Perch (Lucioperca Lucioperca)
The Pike Perch of the delta are best found around the Number Five
Canal, as well as Lake Sinoe and out towards the coastal village of
Sfantu Gheorghe -- the perfect excuse for picking up a bit of local
culture with your fishing trip. Pike Perch are best to find
when the sun is high and the temperatures hot, although any time from
June to September can see reasonable catches of 2 to some whoppers up
to 5 kilos.
When the water heats up, this European delicacy starts to feed in
earnest, resulting in some big catches -- perfect for the photos to
e-mail back home!
As with the Pike and Pike Perch, the local carp also favour the
Sontea channel and out along the Sfantu Gheorghe arm of the river, any
time from the beginning of the true summer season in July through to
early autumn months. You can count on plenty of fish to feed the
masses with these behemoths, averaging two to 18 kilos.
Bring help to lift them!
Catching catfish is hardly for the faint-hearted. The things
are huge, and unless you have good practice with deep-sea fishing for
marlin, it can be quite a surprise when you have something over 200kg
on the other end of your line.
The catfish are capable of swallowing ducks whole, and at night,
the vile fish can be heard slurping and sucking down their latest avian
prey.
However, as anyone from the Mississippi Delta can tell you, catfish
are indeed delicious properly prepared. Your best bet is on board
the floating hotels of the delta, which despite their compact kitchens,
manage to serve up some of the best and most approriate treatments for
their local fresh catches.
If you're fishing check out the best catfish spots along the
Sfântu Gheorghe arm of the river.
With one of the longest seasons of any delta fish, you can get your
catfish early -- really any time the daytime temps are over the 10C
range, from April through October, although early summer can be
a bit thin. Average catches range from three to 25 kilos.
Getting caught for the very first time, the sturgeon in your net
is likely to be a big fella!
There is one fish larger than the catfish: sturgeon. The biggest
is the beluga, famed for its eggs, or caviar. Nowadays sturgeon are
rare, but this is not due to the fishermen, it is a consequence of the
many dams and sources of pollution further up the Danube.
Sturgeon populations and conditions are routinely monitored by programs
under several organisational umbrellas, including the Sturgeon Research
Group (SRG), the
World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the Danube Delta National Institute
(DDNI) in Tulcea.
With over 20 species of amphibians and reptiles, there are few niches
not occupied by those of the cold-blooded persuasion!
Reptiles have a veritable field day (or swamp day) in the Danube
Delta lands with common grass snake (Natrix natrix, or "House Snake"
in Romanian) and the perky dice snake (Natrix tessellata).
In dryer areas, there is even a genuine viper keeping down the mouse
population (and bird chicks!), the Steppe Viper.
The cowboy of the turtle world, the spur–thighed tortoise (Testudo
graeca, to right) making many an appearance, as well as the almost
alien looking European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis).
If you're a lizard afficionado, you'll be spoilt for choice, especially
on the riparian zones around the forested islands.
The
Steppe Viper of the Danube Delta (vipera ursini) is a formidable
fellow with a short conical tail and a fat short body, only up to
long.
Enjoying sunny spots, the viper can be found in rocky or brambly
areas, and can become agitated and whistles, sudden movements and vibrations,
so be careful as the bite can be deadly!
In the Danube Delta, the Steppe Viper enjoys the toads, lizards
and grasshoppers which are so common there, with the odd mouse, bird
chick and even small birds. Whilst the viper is not particularly
aggressive, do take care when trekking through the forested island zones
in particular at Letea, Grindu Portiţa, and Caraorman.
Sightings have been reported too at Periprava, Enisala, Murighiol,
and in the Dobrogean Highlands at Babadag.
The little house snake (called a grass snake outside Romania), is
a happy little visitor common across most of the delta habitats.
Feeding on fish, tadpoles, and sometimes frogs, all of the Danube
Delta snakes are at home in the channels, lakes and swamps. They're
not poisonous, but close proximity should be avoided as they can emit
a rather nasty little smell which will make you run the other way if
you still can after losing your lunch.
A Dicey Proposition
Although having a wide distribution throughout the Balkans and Europe,
the cousin to the house snake, the Dice Snake could not be more at home
than in the Danube Delta of Romania! A protected vulnerable
species throughout the reserve areas, the Dice Snake feeds on delta
fish and amphibians mostly, and can grow to over a metre long.
Spotting one can be a task, because it's colour can range from near-black
up into the greys, brownish-blacks and dark greens. But turn one
over, and you'll notice the tell-tale black spots across an orangey-yellow
background, an effect which gives the delta animal it's name.
You might mistake the snake for a dead branch too, as it has a curious
habit of playing dead if you happen upon it suddenly. Early
in the year, the Danube Delta snakes mate, and you can find them in
great writhing clumps on the banks of the Danube Delta channels, where
they hibernate in dry holes during the winter months.
Tortoises
The Eurasian Spur-thighed Tortoise (Broasca testoasă
de uscat, or "Eurasian Tortoise", in latin, Testudo graeca
ibera) is one of the Danube Delta's most
formidable amphibians.
Romania and Bulgaria grow the largest of this wide-ranging subspecies,
in rare cases, up to 7kg for the larger females!
Each spring, the tortoises of the Danube Delta emerge from their
winter hibernation with one thing on their little minds: mating.
Males pester the females for days, and you can see the amusing little
courtship rituals along the river banks and in forested clearings through
April and May.
Once Mrs. Eurasian Tortoise is ready to lay her eggs, you have got
to be careful to stay away from her, as she gets bizarrely aggressive,
and will have no problems coming at you and snapping at you.
Fire-bellied Toads may not appear on the Manhattan supper club menu,
but in the Danube Delta, fishermen make the most of what they catch,
and frogs are indeed used gastronomically in the region.
In late afternoon or dusk during the summer months,
the Danube Delta tree frogs start to call sometimes
throughout the night. Calling and breeding activity
probably begins in warm nights at late April. The call
of H. arborea is very characteristic and is easily identifable,
making homing in on the species easy amongst the Danube
Delta reed beds.
Do remember that you must have a permit to fish anywhere in the
Delta, available from the Delta Danube Biosphere Reserve Administration
(ARBDD) office in Tulcea.
If you're going on an organised tour however, do ask to make sure
they include this, unless it's specifically a fishing tour, in which
case they should have done this. In any case, it's only about
- pretty cheap.
It is sort of a toss-up value-wise as to whether an organised fishing
tour is going to net you as much as going out on your own might be.
Tours are limited to five or so fixed routes, where as going it with
a local guide can be a bit more interesting.
If you are interested in heading out on your own -- get ready for
an adventure. The Danube Delta is truly stunning and some of the
smaller, lesser travelled local channels can provide a quiet fishing
spot which puts you in touch with nature. Indeed, the gently symphony
of the toads, birds and the odd over-flight of a flock of pelicans is
rather inspirational.
Deep Channels and Clearwater Lakes
In years past, due to the wider variety of channel depths and less
flood mitigation structures, the locals used to catch many species of
fish.
But the Crucian Carp (an escapee from Communist era fish farms)
tends to be a common catch these days, which is very much at home in
the deeper dredged channels. Do note that some of the lakes
closer to the main channels can no longer support clearwater species.
If you're after something interesting, it's best to have your guide
take you further afield until you hit one of the better preserved clear-water
lakes.
Fishing and Camping
If you or your fishing party would like to set up camp, it's best
if you can overnight in one of the ARBDD-approved camping areas at Murighiol,
near Crişan, or Red Lake (Lacul
Roşu). Get your information about camping there first.
That said, there have been many responsible campers who have found
a suitable patch of land near their fishing area and left no trace of
them ever having been there. If you are one of these silent and
responsible fishermen, leave no sign you were even there, and you may
be forgiven your transgression.
You'll enjoy the fun critters populating Romania's Danube Delta
country, from the shenanigans of the otter (Lutra
lutra), the tree stoat (Mustela erminea),
and European mink (Mustela lutreola),
to formidable wild boars (Sus scrofa), the wild cat
(Felis sylvestris), the black-bellied
fox (Vulpus melanogaster), hare, the
ultra-cute raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides),
the bizam muskrat (Ondatra
zibethica), and even the rare grey wolf.
Whilst so many head to the Delta for fishing, birding and a bit
of relaxation, few realise what an amazing union of species and experiences
this little corner of Europe can actually provide! 42 mammal species
have been recorded across the Romanian Danube Delta land and water.
Leave it to
Romania to have the weirdest dog ever! It climbs trees,
swims, dives underwater, and hibernates, plays dead when threatened,
doesn't bark, and loves eating berries, crabs and fish.
It is the Raccoon Dog, and also has unusually small canine teeth
and larger molars compared with other "real" dogs. But, your travel
to Romania will at least prove you picked an interesting country as
far as the animals go!
The Raccoon Dog in Romania is
indeed a cute little canine, scampering across the Delta's
islands, forests and dunes searching for invertebrates like
crabs and mussels, as well as frogs, lizards, seeds and
berries.
This diet lets them co-exist with
black-bellied foxes, minks and otters. If you see
one, have the camera ready, as the shy critters dart away
quickly!
Background:
Raccoon Dog pups in the Danube Delta in the Caraorman Forest
The lady Raccoon Dog is in heat for about six days, and
her pups (sometimes called cubs due to the bear-like habits of the animal)
are born after two months. The male helps out in raising the little
pups, first by hunting down extra food in the delta to bring to his
mate, and then later too for the pups when they can eat solid foods,
about seven weeks after birth. The little raccoon dog pups take about
a year to become full adults.
The Raccoon Dog is the only canid (which contains the dog
family) to go into torpor (a hibernating sleep) through the cold months,
tending to stock up on leaves, berries and grains in autumn before it's
long sleep.
It is also unusual in that its curved claws enable it to climb trees;
the only other canid with this ability is the gray fox.
It does not bark and it turns its tail into an inverted U to express
dominance. If you see one, be certain to have the camera ready
-- this one will really stump the friends back home!
The Danube Delta Muskrat
Skittering across a mud flat, thie Bizam
is on her way to build yet another lodge nest on a floating
island with some reed and mud
The Black Bellied Fox
Actually, we think they have shorter legs
than this, so let us know
if you have a better photo, thanks.
The Otters of the Danube Delta
Happy little fellows enjoy some grooming
near the forest island of Letea
Romania's little reed-rat thrives in the reed-bed and marshes of
the Danube Delta. Very good swimmers, the bizam uses their modified
tail to swim in the open waters between the plaur floating islands.
Although they look like the beavers of North America, they are much
smaller and have thinner tails. The bizam muskrats in the
Danube Delta dig extensive burrow systems in the deposited ground adjacent
to the various arms of the river, using an underwater entrance. In the
marshy areas of the Delta, they build little lodges out of the reeds
and the mud.
The Delta's bizam also build feeding platforms in the wetter areas
of the Delta and help maintain open areas in marshes, giving habitat
for aquatic birds.
Most active at night or near dawn and dusk, the muskrats feed on
cattails and other aquatic vegetation, freshwater mussels, frogs, crayfish
and small turtles. Their predators include the other carnivores of the
Delta, including mink, foxes, the rare wolf, and large birds of prey.
Vulpes melanogaster is a true fox with a luxuriant swath
of black fur on it's belly that looks a bit as if it had a nasty meeting
with a forest fire. In fact, the Romanian name of the fox,
vulpea cărbunăreasă, means "charred fox".
With the grey to charcoal colouring extending along it's abdomen,
and down the legs, the fox is indeed a unique visage. In the Delta
region, the fox is largely limited to higher ground areas, and sightings
have been reported on the forested island areas more than anywhere else.
They are all undeniably cute, and rather fashionable to wear in
the interbellum years, so trapping and hunting did alot to decrease
the numbers.
Unfortunately, there still companies in Romania and around the Black
Sea coast who pay for otter pelts (see
the International Otter Survival
Fund for more info), so the parts of the UNESCO World Heritage area
governed by the Delta Biosphere Reserve are particularly vigilant to
ensure none of the local pelts make it to market.
On Dryer Ground
On the margins of the Delta a few rather grand animals can be found,
from the stately Cerbul (Dama dama), the Roebuck
(Capreolus capreolus), to the Steppe Polecat (Mustela Eversmanni),
the Spotted Polecat (Vormela Peregusna), badgers, bunnies and more!
Whilst not as common to sight, these animals nonethless have made
their homes on the forested islands and marginal grazing lands around
the Delta Danube proper.
We don't like insects or mollusks or crustaceans, so are not going
to cover them here. We are a tourist guide, so unless they are
pretty, cute, furry or funny, they're just not getting press here.
Okay, okay, we're just kidding, so we will let you know that the
Delta area has a wealth of insects, with a whopping 2,219 species currently
catalogued. In summer months it would seem that the most numerous
insect is the infamous Danube Delta Mosquito, not a subspecies per se,
but for the fame it has, it should be.
The Danube Delta flora, one of the richest in Europe, is featured
by the presence of 1,150 species, from the yellow and white water lilies
to the "island forests" of Letea and Caraorman, with lianas and 500
years old trees.
Surprisingly, over a fifth of the entire Delta country is actually
below sea level, with the shifting channels, floating islands and new
lake formations providing a dynamic habitat opportunities for all manner
of plant life.
The Danube Delta Reedbeds
In the Danube Delta, the reed beds are predominant, covering three-quarters
of the entire delta area.
The predominant species are the endemic lesser duckweed Lemna
minor, floating fern (Salvignia natans), Spirodela polyrrhiza,
yellow floating heart (false water lily, Nymphoides peltata),
the white water lily (Nymphaea alba), the spatterdock
yellow water lily or cow lily Nuphar luteum, and delicious
water chestnuts (Trapa natans), used by the early Greeks and
Romanas as a food source. The water chestnuts and floating
fern are protected under the Berne convention, as are the Marsilea
quadrifolia.
Danube Delta Lily
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
Flesh-Eating Swamp Plant!
Well, most tourists are rather safe from
this "waterwheel plant", a protected species of Aldrovanda
vesiculosa, which feasts on little Danube Delta plankton
and krill.
The vegetation mostly above the water-line is represented by reed
(Phragmites australis), club rush (Typha latifolia
and Typha angustifolia), Dutch rush (Schoenlectus lacustris).
See the Riverbank below for trees.
Lurking under the he sinister carnivorous Aldrovanda vesiculosa,
or the "waterwheel plant". It has the distinction of being
the only water plant which is carnivorous and has a visible movement
for trapping it's prey.
A close cousin of the above-water Venus flytrap plants, each leaf
in the whorls of the waterwheel plant terminates in a little clam-like
trap. Like the fly-trap, just a little water bug touching the
internal hairs trigger the instant snapping shut of the pod.
Extra water is pushed out and then one of the lobes folds inwards
to make a little pocket where digestion of the insect takes place using
enzymes. The trap opens again after a few days, ready for action
again.
The Plaur Floating Aits
The plaur is a floating reed ait (islet) common to the
Danube Delta reed fields.
The plaur consists of a thick layer of vegetation up to
two metres deep, made up of a combination of reed rhizome and roots
of other aquatic plants mixed up with organic remains and soil.
Initially fixed, the floating reed islet detaches from the marshes
and pools ground, turning in to floating islands with distinct sizes,
which pushed by wind, moves on the surface of the water.
The plaur vegetation differs from the rest of the thickets
and beds, with reed (Phragmites australis) becoming much higher
and thicker.
Besides reed, you can find here sedge mint, water fern (Nephrodium
thelypteris), water hemlock, knotgrass, pygmy willow and the climbing
plants, Calystegia sepium and Solanum dulcamara too.
The riverbanks of the Danube Delta provide the perfect growing conditions
for a range of willows, cottonwoods and poplars, as well as a host of
introduced species.
The lower banks, which can be flooded annually are favourite areas
for the white willows (Salix alba and Salix fragilis) which
a bit higher up combine with white poplars (Populus alba and Populus
canescens).
Well up on the banks where it very rarely floods you will find
cottonwoods and poplars and introduced species like black poplars, American
maples, the inimitable Pennsylvania ash, and once in a while, some alders
(Alnus glutinosa).
With in the Delta have formed extended mounds of higher ground,
which have become largely forested. Called "haşmac"
by the locals, they are a larger more stable form of the "grind", a
finger of land formed from alluvial or marine sand sedimentation.
These islands really are rare treasures, with only six percent of
the Danube Delta region actually above the water level and less than
1% made up of the haşmacs. The word
haşmac comes from the Turkish word aşmak, meaning to go over,
or traverse forested lands. The Turkish Ottoman Empire ruled
the Danube Delta for over 450 Years until 1878. See more
in
our History of Dobrogea section.
The haşmacs in the middle of marine fields
(the Letea and Caraorman haşmaci are the largest)
are remnants of broader steppe forests that once covered the area, and
have partly evolved into mixed foliage forests now.
featuring light gray oak (Quercus pedunculiflora),
pedunculate oak (Q. robur), ash (Fraxinus angustifolia),
aspen tree (Populus tremura), elm (Ulmus foliacea)
and with climbing plants, Periploca graeca, Vitis silvestris,
Hedra helix, and some Birthwort (Aristolochia clematitis)
colonising here and there too.
Due to the climbing plants, Romanians rather fancifully think these
islands to be like tropical jungles, although anyone from the NSW mid
north coast of Australia would see only a passing resemblance to the
"real" litoral rainforests.
Just 20 minutes south of the Periprava community on the northern
Chilia arm of the Danube, the Letea Forest is a protected zone criss-crossed
with lianas and various vines. The real treasure of these
forested oases however are the wonderful great oaks (Quercus pedunculiflora),
many of them centuries old, along with the other
varieties as listed above.
This forest island preserve is possibly the best known and most
accessible to tourists, being between the Sulina and Sf. Gheorghe arms
of the Danube Delta, and is home to many of the mammals of the Delta
like the Raccoon Dog, the Black-Bellied Fox,
as well as the white-tailed eagle and it's own special eco-system with
thick forested zones, sandy meadows and it's own riverbank regions against
the surrounding reed beds.
Perhaps the most enchanting of the three largest
haşmacs of the Danube Delta, the Erenciuc Haşmac
has a stunning few across a little lake which gives the forested high
ground almost a tropical island feel. Here you'll find similar
topography, flora and fauna as the other islands, although it is home
to the sole remaining stand of alder forest in the Danube Delta.
Nearly a tenth of the delta area, which are along the on the Black
Sea coast margins in the Danube Delta country, are vegetated with salt-tolerant
species.
In soils both slightly saline to fully marine saline, the Danube
Delta species Salicornia patula, Juncus marinus, Juncus littoralis,
and Plantago cornuti thrive. Some bushes have managed
to make a foothold on the sandy marine fields or on the sandy marine
active coasts, although these zones comprise barely 1% of the total
Danube Delta area and it are mainly represented by Tamarix ramosissima,
Elaeagnus angustifolia, and Hippophae rhamnoides.
The Sandy Meadows
The vegetation of the sandy steppe meadows stretches for 3% of the
total area of the Danube Delta, developing especially on the marine
expanses at Letea, Caraorman and Saraturile.
The Festuca bekeri, Secale sylvestris, Carex colcica, Ephedera
distachya species are characteristic. The vegetation of the mesophilic
bank meadows stretches for about 3% of the total area of the delta,
especially on the fluvial banks subject to constant flooding.
Glyceria maxima, Eritrigia repens are predominant. The
aquatic vegetation in lakes, pools and backwaters cover 2% of the total
delta. The following species are typical of the submersed vegetation:
Ceratophyllum submersum, myriophylium verticillatum, Potamogeton
sp., Helodea canadensis.
==LODGING===================================
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An infrared aerial view of the Delta,
with areas of vegetation, reed beds and forest showing green,
the water as blue, and agrarian lands showing pink.
Bordered by the Chilia Arm of the Danube River to the north, the
large lake system on the south going down to
Istria.
The Romanian Black
Sea coast is expanded annually by the silt deposited by the Danube
river, and makes up the eastern border of the Delta, which is also the
eastern-most land in all of the contiguous European Union.
Up-river to the west, the Danube Delta area is more a function of
elevation, with it's border running roughly from the higher land running
from near Murighiol north-west to Tulcea, and
then inland to the first split of the Danube River as it ends it's travel
across marshy country which is the river's floodplain.
Comprising 1,974,000 acres of which 15% is actually water surfaces,
85% of the Danube Delta is in Romania, with the remainder in the Ukraine.
The highest level in the delta in the forested islands is just 17 metres.
Around 15,000 people live in the Delta, most of them are living
off fishing with their traditional wooden boats.
But in the Danube Delta, the density of Russian and
Lipovani people increases dramatically, up to half of the population
generally in the small communities. The Lippovans which are descendants
of the Old Rite Followers who left Russia in 1772 to avoid religious
persecutions.
The main center of Lippovan community in the Ukrainian part of Danube
Delta is Vilkovo.
Most of the men are expert fishermen, sons of three generations
of exiles from Russia, who sought freedom in the Delta to practice their
own conservative flavour of Orthodox Christianity. Their communities
have no roads and daily transportation is only by boat.
In 2004, Ukraine inaugurated work on the Bistroe Channel that would
have provided an additional navigable link from the Black Sea to the
Ukrainian section of the Danube Delta.
However, the European Union advised Ukraine to shut it down, because
the works may have done extensive damage to the fragile ecosystem of
the Delta.
Due to the over 1,000 tonnes of fish consumed by the eager
pelicans each year, they were never the best friends to the local fishermen,
who were ordered to shoot them under the Communist reign of social and
ecological terror.
Now protected as part of the Biosphere Reserve, colonies are guarded
and fishing areas set aside for the locals. Habitat in the
Danube Delta continues to improve with WWF funded removal of artificial
banks, and a return to more natural conditions. Dredging has been
limited and a licensing program for entering the biosphere reserves,
fishing and camping is now in place. See
Delta Organisations below for more info.
From Swamp to Fields and Back Again
Sadly, in the mid-1980s Romania's mad dictator Ceausescu, decreed
that the entire delta be transformed into grain fields. Unfortunately,
240,000 acres were converted to grain fields. Not only was massive wildlife
habitat lost, but his men shot pelicans and cormorants because they
were eating too many fish. The drainage plan failed and was abandoned
once Ceaucescu was shot by his annoyed subjects.
The first acts of the Biosphere Reserve when it was created in 1991
were very beneficial. All the artificial dams, dikes, berms and
sluices were breaches, again naturally flooding more than 9000 acres.
Today, the massive declines in breeding pairs across several species
have been largely stopped or at least slowed due to such habitat restoration
efforts. Thankfully, the eco-tourism industry has also contributed
momentum to preservation and restoration programs, and new EU funding
has bolstered the reach and efficacy of existing
Delta Organisations.
The Danube Delta
National Institute was created in 1970 with the aim of carrying
out fundamental and applied research to provide scientific grounding
for the management of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DDBR).
Under the Romanian government's Ministry of Environment and Water
Management, the DDNI provides research on the biosphere and wetlands
of national and international importance for biodiversity conservation
and sustainable development, including studies on ecological restoration.
Their fine Research Department is responsible for providing the
scientific basis for formulating and implementing governmental policy
and strategies on conservation and management of nature and natural
resources in DDBR areas. Several
ongoing projects of the DDNI monitor and evaluate conditions all
across the delta.
This Department has 138 employees, including 37 specialised researchers
in different fields such as environment, environment engineering, biology,
GIS and remote sensing.
The Delta Danube Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD)
This hard-to-miss building on the banks of the Danube
in Tulcea houses a cheery
information centre where you can get the permits you need to enter,
fish, and camp in the Delta
The Biosphere Reserve (English
version of the ARBDD website here) administers regions of the Delta
set aside as nature conservation areas, and also governs where fishing
may be performed, and how and when the tour boats operate through the
Delta channels.
Know of a property or some information we missed?
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Whilst the idea of a floating hotel may seem like a gimmick, in
the Danube Delta of Romania, they are seriously large palaces of floating
hospitality!
Unlike other areas of our planet which have been divided and routed
with roadways and rail lines, the Danube Delta remains a pristine environment
where only something like a floating hotel -- some as long as 400 feet
with restaurant and suites for up to 150 guests -- can bring the riches
of the stunning delta to visitors in style and comfort.
After your first seafood dinner aboard your hotel, with great views
of the sun setting in the west, you'll look forward to this time every
day.
With Glossy Ibises flashing in the sunlight like rich golden painted
icons, and unimaginable numbers of pink and white pelicans soaring overhead
like an aerial armata, the wonders of the Delta are sure to offer some
fabulous photo opportunities!
This website is a
general tourist guide, designed to help English-speaking tourists
understand Romania, and as such, provides historical
information for the interest of our traveller readers. History
can be a contentious issue, and we welcome input where readers think
clarification or correction is advisable. Please
e-mail us here
if you have questions or comments about anything in this history
section.
Early Danube Delta History
Horses Feeding along the Delta
Villagers use horses to traverse the many
trails of the Delta, especially between villages
2,500 years ago Herodotus said that at that time the Danube had
seven branches flowing into the sea instead of the three that it has
today.
Communities were established first along the higher land on the
southern side of the Danube and Delta area, along one of the first trade
routes in the area running east-to-west.
Starting with the 15th century, the Danube Delta was part of the
Ottoman Empire.
The Treaty of Paris of 1856 which ended the Crimean War, Danube
Delta together with two districts of Southern Bessarabia was included
in the Principality of Moldavia and was established an international
commission which made a series of works to help navigation.
In 1859, it became part of the United Principalities of Wallachia
and Moldavia and later as part of Romania, when all of Dobrogea was
ceded to Romania in a deal with the Russians after the final 1878-79
Russo-Turkish Wars.
Thanks for Reading our Information about the Danube Delta in Dobrogea!
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