Did you know that Istria... ?

That in the waters of Lošinj island lives the largest group of dolphins in the northern Adriatic?
In the year 1987 a team of enthusiastic people started long and intensive research into the social structure of the dolphins which live in the waters of the islands Cres and Lošinj. The group consists of 150 dolphins, most of which have today been identified thanks to their unique markings such as the scars on their tail-fins, which are always visible and permit them to be recognized when they come to the surface to take air.  These “good dolphins” (Tursiops truncatus) live in tropical waters and in mild zones and it is possible to find them along the coasts of the islands and the mainland, as well as in the open sea, up to 1,500 km from the coast. In the northern Adriatic, which is relatively shallow, dolphins are the most common mammal.

The project for protection of the dolphin in the waters of the islands Cres and Lošinj includes also the proposal to make the archipelago of Lošinj a sea reserve for dolphins.

From May 17th 1995, all mammals are considered to be protected species in Croatia.

That it is possible to adopt a dolphin?
By taking part in the campaign “Adopt a dolphin” you will help the research and educational activities in the region, such as the efforts for the protection of dolphins and the sea in which they live. By adopting a dolphin you will get:

• a T-shirt
• an adoption certificate
• a booklet about the dolphins of the islands of Cres and Lošinj
• a picture and brief biography of the dolphin that you have chosen
• a yearly magazine "List Plavog svijeta" (News from the Blue World)

That the island of Cres is the home of a large colony of griffons?
The Griffon (Gyps fulvus) is one of the largest birds, and one of the most important natural treasures of the island of Cres and Croatia. The population of griffons live on the island of Cres and also on Krk and Prvic and are unique because it is here thet they build their nests, on the rocky slopes directly above the sea, sometimes less than 10 metres from the water. The griffon is one of the biggest species of birds, with a wingspan of 2.80 m, and it can reach a weight of 15 kg. It can reach a flying speed of 120 km/h. The griffon is a long-living bird; in fact it normally lives to the age of 60 years. The female griffon lays one egg a a year, sometimes as early as December. After the birth of the baby bird, both parents take turns to feed  the chick. Once the griffon is grown, it leaves the colony and makes the long journey in in the direction of Slovenia, Austria and Italy to the north, Bulgaria, Greece, Israel and Africa to the south or to France or Spain to the west. After five years, the griffon finds his mate and comes back to his island to make his nest, sometimes on the same rock on which he was born.

The griffon is a protected species thanks to the”Law for the protection of nature”, and the killing of it, stealing of the eggs or little birds and causing damage to nests are considered as criminal acts which can lead to a fine in the sum of 5,000 EURO. It is also forbidden to keep a stuffed bird.

In the “Caput” centre on the island Cres, the primary task is to observe and to preserve the population of griffons. One part of the centre is devoted to the rehabilitation of wounded birds.