Our strengths are:

• One of the best guide you can find in Danube Delta.
• An excellent accommodation at a very fair price.
• The best places for photography
• Hides and posts.
• Specialized boat for photographers.

We are specialized in photography and birding tours for groups of 1 to 16 persons.

Depending by the preferences of the photographers/birders we can choose one of the following activities:

1. Exploring Danube Delta

We explore the most wilderness lakes and narrowest channels of the Delta searching for our subjects and taking photos to a large number of birds like pelicans, cormorants, geese, egrets, herons, ibises, spoonbills, grebes, rollers, bee-eaters, ducks, swans, eagles, hawks, falcons, coots, moorhens, crakes, limicols, cuckoos and small birds.  We have a lot of opportunities to meet also animals like otters, wild horses, muskrats etc. If you want, we can visit local villages and meet local people. Is one of the most apreciate programs of ours, you can discover Delta and take a lot of good pictures in the same time. We can also include visits in Letea Forest or on wild beaches.  We have different routes even for 21 days.

2. Photo Hunting for a specific kind of bird/animal

If you are interested to see or taking photos to a specific bird or animal (ore more) we can make a special program for searching it. We know very well the entire Delta and we know where (and when) to find all of the 320 species of birds living here.

3. Watching posts (hides)

We can provide you hides for watch birds (especially if you want a specific bird) and taking photos of this.

We can guarantee that you will not disturb this birds if you follow our instructions. This hides are on shore or even on water.

We can make personalized programs for each group, actually we have some standard programs but we always prefer to make a special one.

4. Kind of groups

For photography, birdwatching, discover

We can organize:

a) groups of 14-18 persons with accommodation on Flotel (Floating Hotel) or on shore hotel in Uzlina Village.

We can take a cruise or stay on shore with the Flotel. All excursions will make it by small boats (6-8 pers).

b) groups of 5-14 persons with accommodation on shore hotel in Uzlina Village.

All excursions will make it by small boats (6-8 pers).

c) groups of 4 persons, this is (maybe) the most efficient kind of groups for photography and birdwatching.

We can stay on shore hotel in Murighiol Village or Uzlina Village (depending by the tour program) or we can take Elfi Boat, Crenguta Yacht and go away, we can take one day tours ad sleep in the same place or we can sleep on boat and take a round tour. OR. We can stay in the same place and take tours by small boats.

d) individual (or 2 persons group). We can do everything you want, whit any kind of boat, everywhere in Danube Delta.

For any details, booking, programs request please write to iliuta (@) fotonatura.ro

It fit to groups of 4 people sleeping on the ship or more (up to 8 persons) with sleeping in local hostels or traditional houses.

A version of the program would be this:

Day 1, get before lunch in Tulcea, we get aboard and head to the heart of the Delta, the village Mila 23.

We start the trip, a classic route, very beautiful, the Sontea channel.

We go slowly on the channels full of life, full of birds, until the turmoil of the village Mila 23 or calmer area of the monastery of Saint Michael and Gabriel on the sand bank Stipoc. Visit the monastery and the surroundings. Depending on your preferences we spend night in the village or monastery.

Day 2, we depart early in the morning to catch the sunrise on the water. We go on the Old Danube Channel, to the last redoubt of tradition in terms of delta villages, houses, people, lifestyle. Village Letea.

During the trip, we’ll change the landscape from wide Danube to old channels bordered by haughty willows or put down by the water, we see many birds, boats, people, fishermen, etc.. We rest during night in Letea in a traditional house, beautiful and clean or aboard yacht.

Day 3, early in the morning we go to Letea Forest , is one of the most important stages of our trip on Delta. The wonder of Letea Forest in the morning light, with its mysterious noises, with wild horses neighs, with fog that rises above the forest groves of secular oaks among the sand dunes… …. you will understand more after you see.

At lunch we get back, eat and go to Sulina where we’ll sleep hearing the sea waves.

Day 4, again early in the morning (I know it is holiday but is a shame to lose such times), we go to the Black Sea, depending on the weather, by yacht or by foot! We take a swim, we see the shore birds/ waders after that we go back to Tulcea on Sulina channel.

We can take with us a small motor boat and do little tours in hidden places, places with shalow water that feed hundreds of birds and water lilies thrive undisturbed.

The program is not set in stone. We can change it anytime we want, if we like something too much we can prolong the time spent in that place.

Prices

Yacht rental:

• 250 Euros per day if you only use for transport
• 270 Euro / day Hotel, one day and one night, if sleeping on launches.

Additional services

• 20 euro / day / person for 3 meals a day – whether cooking with our products or your
• 50 euro / day small motor boat rental, 4 pers, for walking, fishing + gasoline.

Sleeping in the tent is made in your own, sleeping in local hostels is paid separately on-site, cost is around 15 euro / pers (sleeping only).

Diesel is not included in the price of the rent, depending on work consumption is different so I can’t include a fixed price. Consumption yacht is about 8L of diesel per hour march, obviously decreases when going slowly.

Reservations and additional information on 0740 357 073 or  iliuta (@) fotonatura.ro

Discover Danube Delta

Along with a professional team, with specialized guides, in civilized conditions, safe motor boats, additional quality services. We provide everything you need for a successful trip in the Danube Delta.

Stay in Danube Delta – 3 days / 2 nights

Standard package includes two nights accommodation with full board, a 4-8 hours boat tour and guide. Accommodation starts with dinner and ends with breakfast.

Accommodation in Danube Delta

We have two ways for accommodation, one is in a very nice lodge in Uzlina Village (15 min of boat transportation) or in a traditional house in Murighiol Village.

For accommodation in Uzlina lodge we offer:

* Bathroom in the room
* Central heating
* Air conditioning
* Restaurant with traditional food
* Bar
* Mini pool
* Child space
* Terrace

For accommodation in Murighiol traditional house we offer:

* One bathroom for every two rooms
* Rooms with central heating or rooms with stove
* In house kitchen with traditional food
* Bar
* Terrace
* Large yard
* Lake access with kayak or canoe renting

Full board means 3 meals a day, meals based mostly on local specialties of fish but we can provide menus without fish or vegetarian.

Water, tea and coffee are included in meals. Juices and alcoholic beverages are not included in menu but are available at the bar.

Trip in Danube Delta

The standard trip is adjusted to people who are not accustomed to stay very much in the boat. The tour of 4-8 hours offer the optimal comfort and optimal time on the boat and you can visit the key areas of the Danube Delta. We will see specific delta lakes and channels, flora, wildlife, etc..

Depending on the Danube water levels we will see some channels bordered by reeds, rush and willow (typical channels) and atypical areas, channels bordered by forests of ash or alder. Large lakes, true mirror of nature or lakes invaded by water lilies with small channels through which our boat slip. Depending on the blooming period will see various local species of flora.

Being always in the swamp, we know all the time where are feeding large groups of White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Cormorants, Ibis or other birds and we will try to get closer to them for admire / video / photo them.
We have “green” boats, equipped with small engines, clean to not aggressive the nature by these excursions. You will be assisted by trained guides who will offer you all the information you need related to Delta.

Price

For Uzlina Lodge accommodation:

2 pers – 150 euro/pers

4 pers – 140 euro/pers

8 pers – 130 euro/pers

* the price include also the transportation on water from Murighiol to Uzlina and back.

For Murighiol traditional house accommodation:

2 pers – 99 euro/pers

4 pers – 85 euro/pers

6 pers – 80 euro/pers

Prices are in EURO (VAT included) and includes:

Accommodation + full board, 4-8 hours trip with open boat (boat, gas and guide included) and car parking.

For any other requests or for longer trips please ask the price (see contact).

Contact

If you want to discover Danube Delta with us write to iliuta (at) fotonatura.ro or call 0740 357 073

Additional

You can see also our additional services like:

Camouflage Systems

Boat renting

Elfi Cabin Boat renting

Rent an Yacht

Home to 12 species that are globally threatened, Romania had to designate nature conservation areas to protect birds when it joined the European Union in 2007, but “has still not delivered on a number of commitments regarding nature conservation,” the EC said. The Danube Delta alone hosts more than 320 bird species.

Over one million hectares initially pencilled in for protection have still not received the legal designation they require, nor have warning letters had the desired effect, according to the Commission.

“Birds are a barometer for biodiversity – so adequate protection of their habitats is vital. Biodiversity is a precious resource, and we squander it at our peril. I therefore urge Romania to make good these shortcomings and bring in the necessary protection immediately,” EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said in the statement.

Romania has failed to classify a sufficient number of special protection areas for wild birds, which is obliged to do under the Birds Directive, one of the centrepieces of European nature protection legislation.

Romanian authorities designated 108 such areas after receiving a first warning from the Commission in October 2007, but 21 other areas were excluded. Additionally, the areas were much smaller than initially identified.

“The Commission sent Romania a second and final written warning in September 2008. Romania has made no formal commitment in reply and has still to complete the designation of protected areas. It is therefore being called before the European Court of Justice,” the EC said.

Under article 226 of the Treaty of Rome governing the way in which the EU functions, the EC can take legal action against a member state that is not respecting its obligations. The infringement procedure is started with the letters of formal notice, the first step, requiring a member state to submit its justifications by a specified date, usually 60 days. It is followed by the second and final warning, the “reasoned opinion”, after which the EC can take its case to the European Court of Justice.

The official stressed that the new police force will be established through a Minister’s Order, “will be subordinated neither to Tulcea County Police Inspectorate, nor to the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, but directly coordinated by the Chief of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police exactly because this is an extremely important action, of elimination of this criminal poaching in the Danube Delta and it needs coordination and measures at the highest level”.
Dan Nica also said that in a first stage the new structure will include 100 staff from the Romanian Police and the Border Police, with stations on each Danube Delta branch, Chilia, Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe, which will be equipped with 15 fast boats and with night equipment including thermal vision and night filming, “to be able to discover all those who act criminally, robbing this invaluable rich place, the Danube Delta”.
The Vice-premier said that the measure of setting up a new police force was determined by the fact that, in the past 3 months, the Border Police and the Romanian Police have carried out numerous controls in the Danube Delta, discovering a lot of poachers who used monophilament fishing nets and confiscated thousands of kilometers of such nets and a large number of electrical devices used for fishing.

Financiarul

Radu Suciu, researcher of the Danube Delta National Institute, said that this system will be also used in the case of other four sturgeons, to be attached with satellite transmitters next week and afterwards released in the Danube.
The 20 satellite transmitting devices to be mounted on the sturgeons till the end of next year will offer the possibility to Romanian and Norwegian researchers to benefit of the first information on the sturgeons itinerary.
“In the framework of a project funded by the Government of Norway, with one million euros and co-financed by the Ministry for Environment in Romania, an ultrasound video camera will be also purchased, which will transmit sturgeon populations images. The project is wished to serve as a start for the type of tourism practiced on the western coast of the USA, so that people aboard ships can follow the sturgeons”, said Suciu.
The sturgeon is the biggest fresh water fish species in the world, but the number of the migrating marine sturgeon species has followed a downward trend in the past decades as a consequence of the intensive fishing, as well as of pollution and eutrophication of the river and sea environment.
For these reasons, starting 2006, commercial fishing of sturgeon has been banned on a 10- year period, concurrently with this measure the national authorities allocating two million euros for populating the Danube with artificially reproduced sturgeon larvae.

FINANCIARUL

Out of the total 1.3 million euros, the European Union (EU) contributes 979,000 euros and WWF Austria another 150,000 euros. Each of the other partners finances the project, which will last until December 2012.

Both species are in danger of extinction at international level and Romania is home to the largest number in Europe. It is estimated that less than 39,000 pairs of red ducks and fewer than 18,000 small cormorants still live in on the continent and almost one third of them can be found in Romania and a few thousands in Bulgaria.

The two species are protected within the perimeter of the Danube Delta, but the bird population spread along the Danube, in Romania and Bulgaria, continues to be under threat by human activity. Waste disposal along water flows, the excessive use of fertilizers in fisheries and large-scale tourism impacts on the quality of the habitats.

The main aim of the transnational project Life Nature, implemented in Romania and Bulgaria, is to ensure favorable conditions to preserve the two species.

The WWF Danube-Carpathian program aims to preserve nature and ecological processes in Romania and in the Danube and Carpathian mountains areas by initiating, developing and supporting projects for maintaining biological diversity, wildlife and natural ecosystems.

NEWSIN

MEPs Victor Bostinaru, Daciana Sarbu and Adriana Ticau of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) organised these days in the Danube city of Tulcea the third edition of a wide -ranging Danube Delta promotion project started in Brussels where invited to attend were European Specialist MEPs and Francine Cousteau, widow of renowned French oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau, who received the diploma of Danube Delta ambassador.

Attending the conference on the conservation of the Danube Delta through European Union regional and environmental protection policies were local government officials the governor of the Danube Delta, Environment Minister Nicolae Nemirschi and state secretary with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAPDR) Catalin Rosculete. MEP Sarbu told the conference that Romania no longer needs a country brand because the Danube Delta already is a brand that waits to be put to good use and kept intact.

She asked the officials of the Socialist MEP group on the environment and the development committees of the European Parliament to support Romania’s approach of this matter, saying that Romania does not belong to Romania only, but to the European Union as well.

Bostinaru pleaded for an integrated action of the projects that regard the Danube Delta, which he said is the quintessence of policies for this region. ‘Territorial approaches will lead to static projects only and not to the mechanisms for horizontal engagement that can provide answers to the Danube Delta issues. The only chance for the Delta projects to succeed is to approach them within an integrated policy,’ said Bostinaru.

Ticau reviewed some European regional transport and infrastructure projects, pointing out that there is no river transport development without consolidating parallel infrastructures. She also argued that economic development must take into account environmental rules, tourism has to be developed in a sustainable manner, pesticides should be barred from farming, while the fishery policies should limit illegal activities.

The Danube Delta can become Romania’s symbol in the world thanks to its uniqueness, as it is the most dynamic European project created at the end of the longest river of the European Union, coordinator of the Socialist MEP group for regional development matters in the European Parliament Constanze Krehl told the conference on Tuesday.

Krehl said she was pleasantly impressed by the beauty of the Danube Delta, which she toured these days, but unpleasantly surprised by the quantity of plastic bottles and trash there. She argued that greening up the Danube Delta could be part of a wide-ranging operational programme for environmental protection started off in Romania with support from the European Union for the Danube Delta.
Minister Nemirschi said he belongs to the hardliners’ wing in the fight for the Danube Delta, not because he is now a minister, but also because he was born in the region and loves its places.

‘The Danube Delta is one of my main priorities because it has a special significance to Romania and Europe. Some are fighting over oil, and my conviction is that in not too distant a future this place would be as if oil were flowing here,’ said Nemirschi.

Danube Delta Governor Grigore Baboianu said sustainable development is a basic concept underpinning the concept of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, arguing for the importance of cross-border cooperation in this area.

The Dutch representative of the Socialist MEP group on the development committee Dorette Corbey said she was impressed by the beauty of the Delta, which she toured aboard a motor boat with her MEP colleagues and pledged full support for the area before the European Parliament.

Francine Cousteau, the widow of famous French oceanographer Jacuqes-Yves Cousteau, promised her full support for the promotion of the Danube Delta in the world. On her firs tour of the Danube Delta, Francine Cousteau, who is already promoting the importance of the Danube Delta in the world, said she was impressed by the beauty and uniqueness of the Delta.

Financiarul

‘The Danube Delta is the final chapter of the Danube’s trajectory in Europe. It has been scientifically proved that natural resources are undergoing quantitative and qualitative degradation and the time has come for us to take some measures to fight against this phenomenon,’ Nemirschi said in his speech to the opening session of the symposium.
The minister mentioned among the measures increasing the size of natural areas, implementing Natura 2000 projects, securing management for protected natural areas, furthering research and making people aware of the need to protect the Danube Delta. He also introduced a report on the latest developments in the implementation of European Union environmental requirements, mentioning that the visit of the European environmental commissioner is expected in June.
The symposium is organised by the Regi-Envi joint Socialist group and moderated by Romanian Social-Democratic MEPs Daciana Sarbu and Victor Bostinaru. There are two sections of the event, one for the capacities of the local administration to absorb European funds, challenges and opportunities in using European grants, and the need for a cross-border approach of pollution curbing.
At the end of the symposium, Francine Cousteau, the widow of renowned French oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau, will hand in the prize that the Romanian Social Democratic MEPs decided on December 2008 to award each year to the most active organisation that protects the remarkable biodiversity of the Danube Delta, in order to support initiatives that positively impact the area.
Agerpres

Francine Cousteau received the diploma of ambassador of the Danube Delta from Environment Minister Nicolae Nemirschi, who said he is quite moved by this moment, because he can remember nostalgically about the TV reports of the big explorer, scientist Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the husband of Francine.

I have been happy that Francine has written about the Danube Delta, from what he has learnt from his husband, taking this happy message to Europe, ‘ said Nicolae Nemirschi.

At her first visit to the Danube Delta, Francine Coustteau, who is promoting internationally the importance of the region, has said she is impressed with the beauty of the region.

‘I am proud to receive this prize, in the same way in which Jacques-Yves Cousteau was proud by his work of promotion of the environment, which I continue today. He worked with much application in order to convince the United Nations that there is no no mission more important than that of the continuation of life on earth, and that water is what we need, ‘ said Francine Cousteau, who added that she will take further the message of his husband. I need you, and you need me, ‘ she told the minister of the Environment, the local authorities, the Romanian social-democrats, and the Socialists in the European Parliament, with whom she is promoting a comprehensive programme of promotion of the Danube Delta internationally.

Francine Cousteau has come to Romania, at the invitation of MEP Victor Bostinaru and Daciana Sarbu. She attended a conference on ‘Conservation of the Danube Delta through regional policies of environment protection of the European Union. AGERPRES