top of page
ABOUT ISLAND CRES
Earthkeepers Spirit Home in Croatia
Island of Griffon Vultures, Dolphins, Mediterranean Monk Seals, Sea Turtles, endemic plants and other abundant communities of
stone, plant, animal and human families!
It is a wild, untamed Spirit of the Sea, Sky and Places of Wisdom, with secluded beaches, villages build in stone and cliffs, and of peace and serenity -
NO STRESS ON CRES!
CRES is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. Cres town is known for its 16th-century Venetian Tower and Arsan Palace, which houses Cres Museum and its local costumes, weapons and other relics. In the north, trails run through the Tramuntana forest. Nearby, griffon vultures nest on cliffs near the village of Beli. Southwest, secluded Sveti Ivan beach lies on a cove below the medieval hilltop village of Lubenice.
Area: 405.8 km²
Population: 3079 (2011)
Highest elevation: 639 m (2096 ft)
Highest point: Gorice
The Cres Book of Nature is rich in flora and fauna, and the island is also known as one of the last natural habitats of the rare griffon vulture. Apart from its magnificent wonders of nature, the island of Cres also has an enviable historical and cultural heritage that can be seen first hand in the town of Cres, the Tramuntana area, and the small towns of Beli, Lubenice, and Osor, while pristine gems like the Blue Grotto sea cave and the beautiful Sveti Ivan (St John's) beach look like scenes from paradise.
Village Lubenice, Island Cres
Earthkeepers Spirit found a home on the land nested in the foothills below village Vidovići, above village Martinščica on the Western side of the island.
The land gives us quick access both to the Sea and to the richness of the land.
We are truly grateful for this place of wisdom, offering us quiet and secluded space for gathering and ceremony.
Please see the following links about island Cress:
Griffon vulture (lat. Gyps fulvus) is one of the largest bird species in the world and the largest one in Croatia. They have a wingspan of 240 to 280 cm, a height of up to 110 cm, and a weight of 7 to 12 kg in adult birds. They are long-lived birds. They can live up to 40 years in captivity (less in the wild). Griffon vultures feed exclusively on carcasses of large and mid-sized mammals, and never eat live prey. They clean the ecosystem, preventing possible spread of certain diseases.
Griffon vulture is one of the symbols of island of Cres, an island of exceptional and well preserved biodiversity. Beli Visitor and Rescue Centre for Griffon Vultures is the place where you can find out more about the millennia-long coexistence of local people and griffon vultures.
Even though griffon vultures live in other parts of the world, the Kvarner population is unique in the world because these birds nest right above the sea, while in other regions they nest mostly in mountain areas.
Watching griffon vultures in flight is always a special experience. Flying mostly in groups and barely moving their wings, griffon vultures spend hours searching the terrain for food. They fly great distances with ease, and their appearance in the air or on one of the island’s cliffs can truly be breathtaking.
There are several marine mammal species that live or visit the Addriatic Sea, dolphins, whales, and Mediterranean Monk Seals. All marine mammals which live in the Adriatic Sea or only visit it at times are protected by Croatian laws and international agreements. They are endangered due to human influence on their habitats, pollution, over fishing and tourism. Any deliberate disturbing, catching, keeping, injuring or killing of marine mammals in the Adriatic Sea is a criminal offence punishable by Croatian laws with very high penalties and indemnities.
Current knowledge of the status of Cetacean species in the Adriatic Sea indicate that only the common bottlenose dolphin is regularly present in the entire Adriatic Sea. The striped dolphin, the Risso’s dolphin and the Cuvier’s beaked whale are present in different densities only in the southern Adriatic, while sperm whales occasionally visit the area. Fin whales are present seasonally in the central and southern Adriatic. The long-finned pilot whale, false killer whale and humpback whale present rare visitors to the Adriatic Sea. Finally, the short-beaked common dolphin, once present in the entire Adriatic Sea should be considered regionally extinct, as it is present only through either remnant or stray animals.
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is on the Red List of Threatened Species of the Adriatic. The monk seal is the only seal species in the Mediterranean Sea and the fishermen in the Adriatic Sea used to call it morski covik (seaman). It was persecuted for centuries and almost exterminated because it destroyed fishermen’s nets. It was thought to became extinct in the Adriatic. In recent years, there have been sightings around Istria and Cres-Losinj archipelago. This gives hope that it will once again become a permanent resident of the Adriatic Sea.
There are a couple of turtle species in Croatia but loggerhead sea turtle (glavata želva), green turtle (zelena želva) and the leatherback turtle (sedmopruga usminjača) are the three main sea turtle species in the Adriatic Sea. The most common species in the Mediterranean and in the Adriatic Sea is the loggerhead sea turtle. They have been living in the Adriatic for a long time. This is where they feed and spend their winters. Scientists have learned that precisely the North Adriatic is the most important region for the loggerhead turtle in the entire Mediterranean. The greatest number of this species lives, matures, feeds and winters in the North Adriatic. After nesting and laying their eggs, they return to the Adriatic. So, it’s no surprise that their population in the Adriatic is quite large. Scientists estimate there are more than 20.000 sea turtles in the Adriatic. Surveys led by the Blue World Institute show that the main habitat in the Adriatic is the loggerhead, whereas the green turtle and the leatherback are quite rare.
bottom of page