The article details a visit to the Narta lagoon in Albania, where the author, accompanied by guide Julian Hoffman, observes a Dalmatian pelican and other birds in their natural habitat. The lagoon's vibrant ecosystem is vital for avian species, particularly as the Dalmatian pelican faces threats from habitat loss and declining populations. The beauty of the Vjosa River delta highlights the urgency of conservation efforts, especially as the region's wildness is at risk of being diminished by development projects. The deltas are crucial for sustaining biodiversity and protecting endangered wildlife.
The pelican slowed to a splashy stop. Soon it was joined by other birds: greater flamingos, gray herons, Eurasian spoonbills, a flock of little egrets.
Our destination was a headland that would afford us a view of the 59,000-acre Vjosa River delta, which encompasses the lagoon as well as sand dunes, forests, salt pans and fishing villages.
Today it's listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and in Albania specifically as critically endangered by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
I'd traveled to the delta to see a place renowned for its wildness before its wildness is muted.
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