The Quiet of the Danube
Delta Wilderness 🦤
The journey begins at the edge of a small village, where wooden boats are moored, each one weathered yet sturdy, embodying the spirit of the region. With the sun just peeking over the horizon, the fisherman sets out, navigating through narrow waterways framed by towering reeds and willows. The path is often shared with herons and kingfishers, each bird a fleeting companion on this tranquil voyage.
On a quiet autumn morning, the old fisherman, Andrei, was preparing his boat for another day on the mysterious, silent waters of the Danube Delta. He had lived among these channels and lakes his whole life, yet he never ceased to be fascinated by the wild beauty and hidden secrets of this corner of the world. The Delta, with its marshy and untamed waters, was not just his home, but a universe in itself, a place where time seemed to flow differently.
As the sun slowly rose over the horizon, Sulina, the only town in the Danube Delta, gleamed under its gentle rays. The sunniest place in Romania, Sulina was for Andrei like a beacon of civilization amidst a sea of wilderness. This town, where the Danube meets the Black Sea, was full of stories from the past – from pirates who once haunted these waters to merchants who had traveled from the farthest corners of the world.
Today, Andrei planned to reach the “Hunters’ Well,” where the Kneeling Oak stands, a tree over 400 years old. The “Kneeling Oak” – the name always evoked a silent reverence in him. This ancient tree, with its massive trunk, 3.8 meters in diameter, seemed like a silent witness to the passage of time, a symbol of nature’s longevity and resilience in the face of human change. On the way, he passed through the sandy Limanu forest, where vines up to 25 meters long stretched like ancient, giant arms over the wild landscape. These sand forests were a unique phenomenon in the country, and Andrei was always amazed at how nature had managed to create such an oasis in the middle of the marshy delta.
As he made his way through channels and reeds, Andrei spotted a quick movement in the water out of the corner of his eye. He knew instantly what it was – the “bad snake,” the most aggressive creature of the delta. Although this snake, growing up to two meters long, was a feared presence, Andrei couldn’t blame it. He saw it as part of the natural balance of this place, an unseen guardian of the delta’s secrets.
The King of the Delta
There was something magical about this place, a profound silence that you could only feel deep within the Delta. Around him, nature unfolded in all its splendor. Birds of all kinds sang overhead, and through the tree leaves, he could spot large butterflies, including the giant moth called the “peacock eye,” with its enormous 18 cm wingspan. The Delta was truly a museum of biodiversity, a place where nature expressed itself in the most fascinating and unexpected forms.
As he continued, he heard the heavy flapping of large wings above him. Looking up, he saw a Dalmatian pelican with its impressive wingspan of over three meters. He had often watched their majestic flight; these birds were among the largest predators in the Delta, alongside the white-tailed eagle. To Andrei, the pelicans symbolized strength and freedom, soaring above the waters like uncrowned kings of the delta.
A Sanctuary of Nature
After a few hours, Andrei finally reached his destination. The Kneeling Oak towered before him, a silent giant seemingly bowing its branches in respect for the land that had sustained it for so long. The fisherman sat in its shade, contemplating the nature that surrounded him. As the day slowly passed, Andrei knew that each square meter the Delta gained annually meant more places to explore, more stories to discover. Perhaps one day, when he was no longer here, others would travel these waters, maybe discovering new species, new mysteries, but the Danube Delta would always remain a living place, a sanctuary of nature.
And so, in the quiet of the wilderness, Andrei felt he was a part of this universe, a small but essential part of 🪷 the eternal story of the Danube Delta 🪷