GESS LAB
Mangalia
PROTECTED AREAS
Apart from Movile Cave there are two other protected natural areas in the region. In collaboration with ANANP (The National Agency for Protected Natural Areas) we strive to ensure that these areas and the wildlife that thrives in them receive the best protection possible.
Hergheliei Swamp
The Nature Reserve was declared a protected area on November 30, 2004. It is situated on 98 hectares on the Dobrudja Plateau. It is a wetland area consisting of eutrophic marshes, peat bogs, sulphur springs, reeds and cattails. It supports a wide variety of flora (halophile, hygrophile, mesohygrophile species) and provides ideal conditions as a nesting habitat and breeding ground for several species of birds. The natural area overlaps with the Natura 2000 site "Herghelia Swamp, Obanul Mare and Movile Cave". The swamp is of great importance due to the presence of several migratory bird species: the Winter Swan (Cygnus cygnus), White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), Lesser Egret (Egretta garzetta) , White Egret (Egretta alba), Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis), Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Smew (Mergus albellus), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).
Limanu Cave
Limanu Cave is a natural monument located in the southern part of Romania, not far from Limanu village, on the shores of Lake Mangalia. The protected area sits on 1 hectare. Limanu is a labyrinth cave with a length of around 4 km of which 3.64 km where mapped in 1956 by a team of researchers from the "Emil Racovitza" Institute of Speleology. It presents the specific morphology of caves developed in limestone, in what geologists call tabular structures. Historians believe that this cave was used by people over a period of more than 2000 years during times of war to hide from invading armies. Some sectors of galleries exhibit carvings. In such places the chisel marks are clearly visible. Additionally, to prevent cave-ins, pillars and supporting walls were built from limestone blocks. Most of the cave has a very low ceiling that requires crawling or walking bent over. Greek ceramics and lamps were discovered in a more accessible portion of the cave, proof perhaps that the inhabitants of Callatys, almost two millennia ago, had carved altars to worship the god Mithras. The cave serves as a sanctuary for bats and a variety of troglodyte fauna.
