Bajković: The salt flats of Tivat are the habitat of special, endangered and rare plant and animal species

Once a salt factory - and since 2008, a protected nature reserve and wetlands of international importance. Tivat's salt flats, managed by JP "Morsko dobro" is a habitat of special, endangered and rare plant and animal species. However, it is the main habitat for birds, which on the Adriatic - migratory corridor use this place as the last resting place and feeding ground, before heading south. Marija Radović reveals how many have been recorded in this area so far, and what species they are.

Tivatska salts provided a temporary home for the ladybird, crested grebe, white heron, great and little white heron.

Although this place has been visited by as many as 178 different species of birds, one attracts special attention, points out Marija Bajković, from JP "Morsko dobro", which has been managing this protected area since 2014.

"The crown of the management of this reserve is exactly the flamingos, who came the previous year, those are the three cubs that brought the citizens even more to the saltires, to visit them, to understand, and to bring them closer to what was done here during all this time, what was being restored, and what a biodiversity it is," said Bajković.

However, in birdwatching, which is most favorable in the period from September to April, foreigners lead the way, mostly French, Germans and English.

"Mostly they were tourists, since they have a greater awareness of birdwatching itself. We try to train our people, through these educational tours, in how to observe birds, which species can be seen, in what period of time , so that attention is slowly being awakened for that birdwatching," Bajković points out.

In addition to the interesting ornitofauna, the place where salt was once produced has an unusual flora.

"It's the halophytic vegetation that we have on the salt flats, it's the vegetation that can survive on the salty substrate, because here we have fresh and salt water colliding, so that's a great specificity for this climate," said Bajković.

As a destination with great eco-tourism potential, Bajković concludes that investments in this place have only just begun. He hopes that an info center for tourists will be ready in March, with the most modern technology and the binoculars needed for bird watching.