Floating Saunas & Lynx on the move

In this week’s edition:

Congratulations to Kaido Haagen

Floating Saunas – An Estonian Treat

Lynx are at Home in Wild Estonia

CONGRATULATIONS TO KAIDO HAAGEN

Successful Estonian wildlife photographer Kaido Haagen has earned another international photography award as he recently gained third place in the 2011 Ocean Views Photography Awards. His winning photo was of a grey seal (Halichoerus grypus macrorhynchus) poking its head through a cloud of green algae on the coast of Saaremaa, Estonia’s largest island.

FLOATING SAUNAS – AN ESTONIAN TREAT

There are many real Estonian experiences that a person can have while visiting the diverse, civilised but wonderfully wild little country. A very typical one would be to visit a sauna. An extra special experience would be to visit a floating sauna.

Soomaa.com have their own floating sauna to use on the Raudna River within Soomaa National Park. After a day exploring the park on foot, bogshoe or by canoe, it is wonderful to relax in a hot sauna and be able to jump from the sauna straight into the cool, refreshing water of the river. For more information about their sauna and other services in Soomaa National Park, please visit Soomaa.com.

Pärimusmatkad Heritage Tours also have their own floating sauna which is located in Vilsandi National Park on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia’s largest island. This is available to use now as part of a coastal ski and sauna day trip and of course will also be available for use in warmer months. For more information about booking the floating sauna and other trips and services available, please visit the Pärimusmatkad website.

In coming editions, Wild Estonia Weekly will be covering saunas and Estonian sauna culture in depth, as the sauna continues to be a popular and important part of Estonian life.

LYNX ARE AT HOME IN WILD ESTONIA

The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx lynx) is unfortunately still struggling to recover in many parts of Western and Central Europe after decades of hunting, eradication and persecution in the first half of the 20th Century. However, in Estonia the population density of Lynx is possibly the highest in all of Europe and has been increasing over the last decade. Recent counts estimating that around 800 – 900 individuals call Estonian forests home.

Photo by Bernard Landgraf

At the end of 2010, WWF Poland proposed a plan to start relocating Lynx from Estonia to the Polish forests of Piska and Napiwodzko-Ramuckie in order to strengthen the numbers of the small and fragmented Lynx population there. The Estonian Lynx are expected to relocate successfully as the habitat where they will be relocated to in Poland is familliar to them and the two populations are also genetically similar. The first of these Lynx are to be transported in early 2011

Photo by Marcus Pietrzak

Although Lynx are quite secretive animals and difficult to spot in the forest, early Spring offers the best chances to see one. Males at this time explore their territories in the hope of finding a suitable female partner to start a family with. Paw tracks in the lingering spring snow may also help to reveal their movements and habits.

Photo by Bernard Landgraf

NaTourEst offer special trips for those who are interested in tracking and spotting large carnivores such as lynx, wolves and brown bears. For more information about these and other wildlife tours, please visit the NaTourEst website.