Plavnik is an unpopulated island in the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

, belonging to

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

located between the Central Straits and the

Kvarner Bay The Kvarner Gulf (, or ; ; or ) sometimes also Kvarner Bay, is a bay in the northern Adriatic Sea, located between the Istrian peninsula and the northern Croatian Littoral mainland. The bay is a part of Croatia's internal waters. The largest i ...

. The Krusija Channel cuts it off from the eastern coast of the island of

Cres Cres is an Adriatic island in Croatia. It is one of the northern islands in the Kvarner Gulf and can be reached via ferry from Rijeka, Krk island or from the Istrian peninsula (line Brestova-Porozina). With an area of , Cres has the same si ...

. This channel is the shortest route from the

through the islands to

Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...

. A

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

, established in 1890, sits at the northwestern point of the islet, marking the east side of the narrowest opening of the Krusija Channel.

Geography

While covering an area of 8.64 km², the island has a length of and a width of up to . Its highest elevation is . On the northern and north-eastern sides, the coastline is partially steep. Two islets that make up the Kormati island (Otok Kormati), lie to the southeast of Plavnik. In the middle of the straits between these islands and Plavnik, the sea depth is about .

Flora and fauna

Plavnik is home to birds such as the wheateaters,

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

, and white-headed

vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

. Hares are common as well. , the islet is in the process of being declared a zoological and botanical

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US v ...

Gallery

Plavnik from Cres.jpg, View of Plavnik from south of Vodice Plavnik 018.jpg, Cliffs Plavnik 024.jpg,

Fracture Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...

Plavnik 020.jpg,

Rock shelter A rock shelter (also rockhouse, crepuscular cave, bluff shelter, or abri) is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. In contrast to solutional caves (karst), which are often many miles long or wide, rock shelters are alm ...

Plavnik 011.jpg, Lighthouse

References

External links

Plavnik
at CroatiaTouristCenter.com {{Authority control Uninhabited islands of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County