Sep 4, 2008 - Tulcea & the Danube Delta

By 0800 we had walked 400 meters from the ship to board smaller craft that would take us through the narrower channels of the Danube Delta. The idea for the early start was that birds and wildlife would be more active earlier in the morning. Our ship guide, Natalia, was bundled up in a coat but had not warned us of a possible morning chill on the delta which was indeed the case. But this is the only fault I can find with her during our two weeks with the group. Thus, I give a pass on this oversight. When entering a main channel of the...

Sep 3, 2008 - Tulcea, Romania

By the time I awoke at 0930 we were in Romanian waters. In fact, we had exited the Black Sea and were heading westward into one of the three main channels of the Danube River delta. The delta covers hundreds of square miles and has been designated a UNESCO biosphere. There is much ecological damage still to be repaired, as is the case with most of the world’s great rivers but there seem to have been changes in the right direction during the past two decades. The delta teems with birdlife. It lies halfway between than North Pole and the...