Offshore Salt Lake Atanasovsko is divided into two by a sand strip, the northern part is a nature reserve since 1980 and the south is used as a buffer zone. The lake is 9.5 km in length, width - 4.3 km and reaching a depth of 0.8 meters,
salinity has ranged from 20 to 27.5 percent. A considerable part of the
area, 1,690 ha has been maintained
as
a saltern since 1906, preserving the old
way of salt production.
Atanasovsko Lake is a Ramsar-wetland that is of global importance
for the ornithology and it is also called
the
European Bird Paradise. There are 317 bird species found, which makes 70% of all bird species in Bulgaria. Of these, 14 are globally threatened,
83 species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria and 170 species are
of European environmental significance.
Atanasovsko lake is located on the old
migratory route Via Pontica. It is a typical place with a narrow front for a large amount migratory birds coming from the continent.
Most attractive for
the bird watchers is the migration
during August – October and the winter months are best for
monitoring the worldwide endangered small cormorants, stiff-tailed ducks
and dalmatian pelicans.
The lake is inhabited by the world smallest mammal – Etruscan Shrew
(Suncus etruscus), weighing only 2 grams. |
