In the south-east part of Romania, at the point where the second longest river in Europe (ca.2900 km) flows into the Black Sea, the Danube Delta started to take shape some 16000 years ago. Its wild beauty, and rich fauna and flora, have been constant attractions to ever increasing numbers of tourists from all over the world.

    One of the most complex such formations worldwide, the Delta has evolved around the three arms of the Danube: Chilia-the most active, flows for some 120 km and has its own micro-delta; Sulina-the shortest and most direct with a length of 63.7 km; Sfantu Gheorghe, the oldest arm of the Danube, reaching the sea after 69.7 km.

    The biodiversity of the Danube Delta is considerable - it shelters over 3400 species of vertebrates and invertebrates, many of them rare or endemic. Some 280 species of birds have been recorded, with 177 species breeding here, a number of them protected by law including Pelicans, Egrets, Spoonbills, Swans, Black-Winged Stilts, Avocets, Ruddy Shelduck, and White-Tailed Eagles. There are over 160 species of fish, among them the much-sought sturgeons, and several aquatic mammals, such as otters, mink and muskrats. All of these make the Danube Delta a must for nature lovers and fishermen alike.

    With the support of UNESCO, and also of the famous French underwater explorer, Jacques Yves Cousteau, the entire Danube Delta was declared a Biosphere Reserve in August 1990. At present, there are 18 highly protected areas with buffer zones to preserve the process of natural evolution, and specific fauna and flora.