Another coastal lake, Durankulak Lake, is located 20 km to the north. It is one of the most important wetlands in Bulgaria from an ornithological point of view and regularly hosts globally significant numbers of breeding, migratory and wintering birds. It is designated as an Important Bird Area, Natura 2000 Special Protected Area, and a Ramsar Site. The wetland consists of a coastal lake with associated marshland and sand dunes, and is surrounded by steppe grasslands and arable lands used for intensive crop production. It is also a site of high historical and archeological importance, with evidence of some of the oldest civilizations in Europe.

Located on a major bird migration route in Europe – the Via Pontica – the two wetlands attract a huge number of migratory waterbirds each year. Their fame, however, is due to the huge concentrations of Red-breasted geese (Branta ruficollis) and Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) that come from the tundra of Europe and Asia to overwinter in the area, attracted by the calm, milder winters and the large arable areas where they can feed. Since the 1950s, about three – quarters of the global population of the Red-breasted Goose spend the winter near Shabla Lake Complex and the nearby Durankulak Lake.

Sand dunes are among the rarest habitats in Bulgaria, and the sand plants growing on them – among the most threatened on a European scale. On the other hand, the pollution of water bodies is one of the risks that frequently cause floods and disasters. Given that, in Bulgaria the scope of the initiative is extended to cleaning the rivers and reservoirs in the country. The campaign was held on the eve of the International Day of the Danube River – June 29, and it took all European countries located along the river, organizing volunteer actions to clean.

Shabla Municipality and the Wildlife Conservation Society thank all who participated in the cleaning and the manager of camping site “Cosmos” for the transportation of waste from the cleaned site.