Episode 44

Photo Cred: @Timotej

Split, Croatia

Dobra večer, prijatelji!

Welcome back.

This episode is very sea-worthy, we promise!

Today we’ll learn some words you’d use or hear when you travel on the Adriatic Sea.

Ahoy!

Lesson

boat - brod

ferry - trajekt

speed boat - gliser

sailboat - jedrilica

yacht - jahta

wave - val/valovi

seagull - galeb

dolphin - dupin

In this edition of the SSR, DJ Moe tells us about two salt lakes that exist on an island.

Wow, sounds amazing! The island of Mljet is a thing of beauty, so let’s learn about it.

Hello my super slatko Prieteljie!

The two lakes I’m referring to are called Malo Jezero and Veliko Jezero.

Literal Translation:

Small Lake and Big Lake, both of these lakes can be found on Otok Mljet or Mljet Island.

Let’s start with a little bit on where these lakes are located. Otok Mljet is the southernmost and easternmost of the larger Adriatic Islands of the Dalmatia region in Croatia. In a 2011 census, the population consisted of 1,088 inhabitants. The island is roughly 23 miles long (37km) and almost 2 miles wide (3.2km).

A quick history on the islands name, in the 6th century, first records of the island show its name as Melite, later on Agathemerus and Gaius Plinius Secundus, a well renowned author, naturalist, philosopher, naval and army commander in the early Roman Empire at that time had the name down as Melita. You might better know this Gaius Plinius Secundus by another name, Pliny The Elder. “Cheers!” The origins for the name of the island are connected back to the ancient Greeks, “Melita” or “Honey.” Which over the centuries became the Slavic name, Mljet. Knowing that, my mind immediately triggered my Spanish vocabulary, and led me to “miel,” very similar. We can thank the Greeks for all those connections.

Both lakes are Salt Water Lakes, and both are about 2.5 miles long (or 4km) and are interconnected by a small canal and one is connected to the sea by a narrow passage.

The lake connected to the sea is the larger of the two lakes, Veliko Jezero. Veliko Jezero is a lake but also noted as a Sea Bay as it has access to the Adriatic. This connection to the sea was naturally formed, but could have been dredged deep enough for boat passage in the 15th century by the Benedictine months that occupied the island at that time and inhabited the monastery that is still there today.

Because the only access to the Sea is the one narrow channel, the Salinity content of Veliko Jezero is lower than that of the Adriatic. This difference causes the lakes temperature to be warmer than the Adriatic in the summer and keeps the lake colder in the winter. This is what makes these lakes different than other freshwater lakes. 

Malo Jezero, the smaller lake, draws most of its water from rainwater as well an underground stream. In the summer the temperature of Malo Jezero runs hotter than its bigger brother and grows even colder in the winter. The salinity is also lower overall but increases as you go deeper into the lake, leading experts to believe that there might be another direct connection to the Sea that may exist somewhere in the depths of the lake.

As far a lake inhabitants go, in both lakes you’ll find grey mullets, sea bass, moray eels and scorpion fish to name a few.

Another Interesting fact on the wild life of Otok Mljet or lack there of… The island is missing what’s known as hedgerow birds. Hedgerow birds are birds that live in hedges, brushes or bushes, these birds a pretty common in most places. So think of small little birds that eat insects and worms and make nests low instead of high up in trees. Birds like Sparrows and Robins. In 1910 a small Indian Mongoose was introduced to the island to deal with a Nose-Horned Viper problem that was found all across the island. Apparently the Mongooses did a great job as the venomous snake cannot be found anywhere on the island today. What happens when a predator runs out of food, he looks for another meal, so bye-bye birdies..

So how does one visit? Well if you are interested in visiting Otok Mljet, its not hard, their are trips you can take from Dubrovnik and Korcula. What makes it really worth while is that a third of the island is protected as a National Park, including the lakes, keeping the island clean and pristine. Even though much of Croatia is considered paradise already, this island feels more like untouched paradise. Most of Otok Mljet is covered in dense forest and greenery. Despite all that forest there is still much to do and see. There’s the Odysseus Cave, you can swim in the lakes, you can rent kayaks, go for a walk on the trails underneath shaded pines, you can rent a bike and make your way around the park and of course the beaches. If you are into scuba diving, Mljet even offers 310miles (500km) of protected maritime environment that stretches along the coast. You can also visit the 12th century Benedictine Monastery, no longer in service.

That’s it for the Super Slatko Report.