Description of the attraction
Alepu nature reserve, which is part of the large Ropotamo nature reserve, is located on the southern coast near Sozopol - about 17 kilometers, near the resort village of Dyuny. Alepu is an estuary, a swampy place that is overgrown with reeds and various marsh vegetation, it is located behind the bay of the same name. Occupies an area of about 167 hectares, the length of the reserve is more than three kilometers, the width is 320 meters, the salinity of the water is from 1, 3 to 7, 0 ‰. Alepo is separated from the sea coast by a strip of sand dunes; before the construction of the resort and tourist complex, there was a wild beach here - one of the few in Bulgaria.
In translation from the Greek language "alepu" is a fox, therefore this area is often called the Fox bog. The Alepu bog was declared a protected area in 1986. In 2002, it became part of a large wetland - the Ropotamo complex (total area of 5, 5 thousand hectares), created to support the rarest biological diversity.
The size of Alepu has recently significantly decreased, now these are two small reservoirs, which are connected to each other only when there is heavy rainfall, this usually happens in spring. The shores are covered with sand, due to the inconstant contact with the sea, the salinity of the water is low. Mostly blue-green, green and some other algae grow in the water, there is little plankton. However, Alepu is home to rare water birds, many of which are endangered species. The mute swan and the cormorant, various species of herons and ducks, as well as the little grebe, the smallest of the waterfowl, nest and winter here. In addition, in this area, rare white-tailed eagle nesting sites have been found on the Black Sea coast.
The Alepu bog is located on the migration route of a large number of migratory birds. This place is considered a real paradise for bird watchers, as it provides a rich base for their exploration. Birds are attracted by the safety of the terrain and large reserves of food.
Recently, there has been a huge problem of unregulated fishing and hunting in this protected area. They associate this with the construction of resorts located in close proximity to the reserve.
