The project Rab Archaeological (T)races was developed on the idea of an open-air museum, presenting about 30 archaeological sites in the area of the island of Rab. They are connected by three educational trails spreading on the area of Kampor, Lopar and Supetarska Draga. Follow the traces hidden in the wonderful landscapes with the help of informational and educational panels and the interactive mobile application to learn about the cultural treasures of the island.
EPARIO TRAIL 10 km 179 m 3 h
Epario trail spreads along the coast of Lopar and is suitable for recreationists and families with children. Alongside numerous archaeological sites that indicate this area having been intensely used in the past, especially in prehistoric times and the Antiquity, the trail reveals breath-taking geologic structures.
CAPO FRONTE TRAIL 22,5 km 363 m 6 h
Capo fronte trail spreads along the most forested area on the island – Dundo, a special reserve of forest vegetation, and Kalifront peninsula covered in oak forest. Besides remains of medieval churches, dry-stone walls, lime kilns, bauxite quarries, and other sites indicating the area having been extensively used in the past, this area stands out for the most well-preserved oak forest in the Mediterranean…
FRUX TRAIL 6,5 km 122 m 2,5 h
Frux trail connects Lopar and Supetarska Draga both ways and is suitable for hikers and MTB cyclists. It is a part of a path known as Premužić’s trail, a masterpiece of dry-stone wall building…
Austrian naturalist Camillo Morgan visited Rab in 1889, 1904 and 1909 and writes, “…the sea in ten or so beautiful bays has a special colour which becomes an emerald-green colour. If the coasts of Italy and France deserve the name Côte d’Azur then this should be called the Côte d’Emerald.”
The island of Rab is rightly referred to as the pioneer of naturism on the Adriatic. The month of August 1936 is frequently mentioned as the official beginning of naturism in Rab, i.e. when the English king Edward VIII stayed there and the Rab authorities allowed him and his wife to take a nude swim in the bay of Kandarola. However it is certain that naturism on the island started long before that. The article “Trade in nakedness”, published in the Austrian economic journal “Trend” no. 11/83 reports that the naturist beach in Rab was officially opened as early as at the transition to this century and that 50 beds in the hotels were reserved for naturists.
The same article mentions that the first naturist beach in Rab was opened personally by Richard Ehrman, the president of the International Naturist Federation from Vienna in 1934. Naturism in Rab is also mentioned in the article of the Czech Josef Herman, in 1907 and of professor Günther in 1912, which proves that the Rab people had understood long ago the bright prospects of this movement which, at that time, was a very bold attitude. The possibility to swim without clothes attracts for a lot of tourists, so that many of them choose to spend their holidays in Rab. While nudists used to be very rare earlier, there are thousands of them nowadays.
King Edward VIII (1894 – 1972) and Wallis Simpson (1896 – 1986) on the island of Rab, during a holiday cruise on the Dalmatian coast, August 1936.
The Blue World Institute’s “Adopt a dolphin” is a platform to sustain the Adriatic Dolphin Project, the longest-running conservation research project in our region. Your generous support allows us to maintain our research and conservation activities for bottlenose dolphins – and other dolphin species – and to increase public awareness at local and national levels. It also supports the Dolphin Day, educational programs, and promoting overall protection of the Adriatic marine environment. https://www.blue-world.org/get-involved/adopt-a-dolphin/
Adriatic Dolphin Project
The Adriatic Dolphin Project is the longest ongoing study of a single resident bottlenose dolphin community in the Mediterranean Sea that started in 1987. The aim of this project is to research the population ecology and conservation biology of bottlenose dolphins and other Cetacean species in the Adriatic Sea using genetics, population, and habitat modeling and disturbance factors. Since the outset, the project has been an example of best practice in the successful integration of scientific research with practical conservation resulting in the declaration of six Natura 2000 sites for bottlenose dolphins. The science undertaken by the Adriatic Dolphin Project aims to provide information to the public and relevant authorities and promote the protection of the dolphins and their habitat.
Bottlenose dolphins are protected under Croatian law and are placed in the National Red List, categorized as “Endangered”, but without evaluated trends. Their research and conservation have been listed as a priority in Croatian and European nature protection. As such, our research can aid in developing appropriate conservation strategies in the Adriatic Sea and help in the implementation of the Natura 2000 priority actions for marine biodiversity.
Common Bottlenose Dolphin ( Cro: Dobri dupin)
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Cetacea
Family
Delphinidae
Genus
Tursiops
Species
truncatus
Species Authority
(Montagu, 1821)
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) hereafter referred to as “the bottlenose dolphin” is possibly the best known and most widely distributed of all Delphinidae species. The basic biology of this species is well documented. It has a fusiform body shape (streamlined); body color varies from dark grey on the dorsal cape to pale grey on the side and white on the underside, which may have a pinkish glow when the summer water temperature is high. The bottlenose dolphin measures between 1.9 m to 4 m when an adult and weighs anything from 100 kg to 500 kg. In the Adriatic, animals usually reach up to 3 m in length and weigh about 200 kg. Dolphins must surface every few minutes to breathe. The single blowhole is located on the dorsal surface of the head and is covered by a muscular flap that provides an airtight seal when diving. Bottlenose dolphins remain submerged for 4 – 7 minutes when foraging for fish. Bottlenose dolphins feed mostly on benthic fish and small squids and therefore are often in direct competition with fishermen. They are famous for their curiosity and this makes them prone to entanglement, particularly in gillnets, which in turn is a major form of premature death for the species. Although there is no current worldwide estimation of their population, based on the aerial surveys we carried out, their number in the Adriatic is estimated at around 10,000 individuals. Pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction reduces the numbers of these dolphins and confines them to limited habitats.
The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre was constructed as part of the ”Network for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Sea Turtles in the Adriatic (NETCET)” project funded by the European Union Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Adriatic Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) Programme. The centre is part of the network of rescue centres for conservation of sea turtles in the Adriatic Sea.
Sea turtles are an ancient group of animals, inhabiting Earth for millions of years. Today they face many threats that cause their numbers to decline. The loggerhead turtle inhabits the entire Adriatic Sea year-round. It nests on beaches in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus and the hatchlings reach the Adriatic Sea as they mature. In the northern Adriatic, they enter the benthic phase of their lifecycle when they feed on benthic crustaceans and mollusks. As the northern Adriatic is a shallow sea, it represents a key habitat for loggerhead turtles. Being cold-blooded animals, sea turtles spend the cold winter months ͚hibernating͛ on the bottom of the northern Adriatic Sea.
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