Europes second largest river delta, the Danube Delta, was one of the most memorable places on our trip so far.
A unique and magical place. A place of beauty and reflection. Home to a few hardy souls. Home also to hundreds of species of birds, fish, and other flora and fauna. Yet also a fragile ecosystem threatened by man’s actions.
Inaccessible by road, the only way to really appreciate it is by boat. And what an unforgettable experience it was.
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The Detail:
6 hour boat trip RON 350 per person (about £63 each)
The memories – priceless
To quote Wikipedia,
The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent.
The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania (Tulcea County), with a small part in Ukraine (Odesa Oblast). Its approximate surface area is 4,152 square kilometres (1,603 square miles), of which 3,446 km2 (1,331 sq mi) is in Romania.
With the lagoons of Razim–Sinoe (1,015 km2 or 392 sq mi with 865 km2 or 334 sq mi water surface), located south of the main delta, the total area of the Danube Delta is 5,165 km2 (1,994 sq mi). The Razim–Sinoe lagoon complex is geologically and ecologically related to the delta proper; the combined territory is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Sunrise over the Danube Delta
Apparently, according to our guide Ovidiu, the very best time to appreciate the beauty of the Delta is first thing in the morning. So our alarm goes off at 5 am, and he picks us up from the campsite at 5.45 to drive us to the mooring. He has clearly been up and about for some time as the small boat is all ready to go when we get there.
We are still in early spring, but already things have started to grow back. The trees have a new covering of bright green leaves, the lily pads are just rising up to the surface and this year’s rushes are just sprouting.
As we set off the sun is starting to rise. The water is mirror calm with a light mist clinging to the surface as we are treated to the most glorious sunrise. An unforgettable moment.
Bird Life
Already there is a rich variety of birdlife. Surrounded by the early morning calls we see our first pelican fishing for his breakfast.
Being April, the water level of the Delta is at its highest, with the spring rains and melting snow. This means that all of the small channels are navigable at the moment, whereas in a couple of months or so the level will have dropped to the point where many of the smaller ones become impassable. Most of the channels are not naturally formed. Rather, they were cleared by fishermen to make travel between the larger lakes easier.
It is into one of those small channels that we go next. Almost immediately we are treated to a sample of the rich birdlife in the Delta. A white tailed eagle perched high on a tree searching for its prey, herons, kingfishers, cormorants, glossy ibis, great crested grebes, woodpeckers, pelicans to name but a few. In all over 300 species of birds can be spotted there, although many are migratory.
Fishermens Camp
Our first stop of the day is at a tiny fishing camp. Home to just one chap at the moment as fishing isn’t permitted during the breeding season. Later on there will be 8 men based there, scratching a living from catching and selling some of the fish.
Most fish are caught using a kind of funnel net, which guides the fish towards a trap at one end. The nets can be left in the water for up to a month before they need to be taken out, dried, cleaned and repaired. The fish are harvested each day from the trap. These types of net come in different sizes for use in different areas. Crayfish traps are also commonly used.
Another type of net that is often used is a kind of floating net which is designed to run along the reed beds where the fish tend to hide. Fish get caught up in the net as they come out of the reeds to feed. Literally kilometres of these types of net are in use by just the one camp we visited. Because the nets have to be pulled in each day, untangled, repaired and recast it is a much more labour intensive style of catching the fish.
Fishing on the Delta is in decline. Fish stocks have been decimated by around 94% according to Ovidiu. Making a living from fishing is becoming increasingly difficult. More and more nets have to be cast to catch fewer and fewer fish every year.
Mans Impact
I ask our guide why the birds are so wary of the boat, even when we are so far away and going so slowly. His answer surprised and shocked me.
Apparently fast boats enter the Delta during the tourist season. At this time the water level is low and the number of birds high, meaning that they are concentrated into a smaller area. Sometimes there are literally thousands on each lake.
The boats, carrying tourists, drive at the flock at breakneck speed so as to startle the birds into flight so that they can get pictures of the birds taking off whilst amongst them .
The heavy birds in panic collide, knock wings and injure themselves. Collateral damage to smaller birds such as coots which simply can’t get out of the way. The propeller chops them up, together with fish, snails, frogs and anything else unlucky enough to be in the boat’s path. In the wake of each such boat that runs madly through the Delta, a part of the biodiversity dies every day of the tourist season.
This is just one example of how man’s actions are affecting the Delta’s ecosystems. the overfishing, not just of fish but crayfish. frogs. leeches, the grazing of livestock, burning of the reedbeds, and tourism are all having an impact.
Hunting residence of Nicolae Ceaușescu
We also saw, but didn’t stop at, the Hunting residence of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Apparently this was maintained for his sport, although he never actually stayed there. On the handful of times he did visit he preferred to sleep on the private ferry that brought him there…and never for than six days. The facility is now state owned and visits aren’t permitted.
Uzlina
We cruised through Uzlina. During the communist Ceaușescu period this was a living, working village.
When the regime fell in 1989 the people who lived there were given the opportunity to purchase their houses for next to nothing. They subsequently sold the property and the village quickly became a tourist destination.
Today virtually no one lives there except for one or two guardians who look after the properties during the harsh winter months. Today it’s a thriving holiday destination. Unique because it is only accessible by boat. If you want peace and solicitude it is an ideal place.
Caraorman
Our final stop before heading back was Caraorman.
Over time, where the Black Sea waters meet the water coming down the delta, sand and silt have been deposited and built up into dunes. Not the huge sand dunes you would find in the desert, but enough that they are permanently out of the water, firm enough to build on and fertile enough that some farming and stock grazing is possible.
This is where you find Caraorman. It’s a little bit like stepping back in time. Subsistence living.
During Ceausescu’s time a glass manufacturing plant was built there, together with housing for the workers. It was ready to be commissioned in 1989, just as communism fell. It was never used. Today it is just a ruin, many items taken by the locals to use in their own homes. Gone are the door, windows, roof tiles, and electrics to name just a few things. Now the buildings are just home to donkeys.
At that time there were around 3000 people living in the village. Today there are only about 150. Many of the properties are empty. Surprisingly there is a village store selling all sorts of things.
The villagers scratch a living from the land and by fishing. They supplement their income by offering overland safaris to the nearby Pădurea forest, where 600 year old oak trees grow in the sand. The place is inaccessible by road yet there are a surprising number of vehicles there are mostly ex-UK vehicles with UK plates. Cars aren’t registered here – or taxed, MOT’d or insured!
Interestingly our guide pointed out an old 80’s campervan – built by Alfa Romeo – who knew eh?
After a coffee and a couple of biscuits (age unknown and best not asked), it was time to head back. In all the trip was over 6 hours. We saw and learned so much, yet I can’t help but feel that we have only just scratched the surface.
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