Drones monitor compliance with bathing ban in the area of Seven Rila Lakes

Drones with cameras keep an eye on the area of Seven Rila Lakes to ensure the bathing ban is observed. The measures are introduced because of the increasing violations by tourists who, despite the ban, are tempted and bathe in the waters of one of the protected tourist sites in the country.

The guard services now use specialised aerial equipment to monitor the park for possible violations of the bathing ban. Park officials have five drones - two small and three large.

The areas of the Cirque of the Seven Rila Lakes, the southern part of the park, as well as the areas around Musala and Malyovitsa are regularly monitored with drones.

"When there are large groups of tourists, the purpose of the drone surveillance is to monitor the tourist flow, enabling quick identification of tourists deviating from the marked trails, entering the lakes or water bodies, because this is prohibited. The drones monitor for setting up of tents or lighting fires in the open, because for 2 years now, by order of the Director of the Rila National Park Directorate, it has been forbidden to light fires in open spaces in the protected area. You know that when a forest fire occurs, it costs a lot of effort, coordination and time to extinguish it", said Stefan Kirilov, chief expert at Rila national park.

Images by Tatyana Dobrolyubova

Taking photos in the immediate vicinity of the lakes is also prohibited. The park's management has created the necessary tourist infrastructure and so-called "lookout points" have been created in places along the trails.

"Photos can be taken from the lookout platforms, and tourists should not actually deviate from the trails because, in the very act of deviation, they enter a human impact restriction zone, as the Cirque is also such a zone and they actually violate the rules of conduct," Stefan Kirilov said.

The magic of Bulgaria’s 7 Rila Lakes (see pictures)

Four violations have been found for entering the lakes this year alone. Each of the reports was filed by tourists who took pictures of the violations with their phones. However, the drone surveillance ensures a faster response. An idea that is endorsed by most tourists.

"I'm a mountaineer, I love to hike and this is a very nice idea. I love nature and seeing it polluted annoys me too," said Mimi Chaneva, a mountain climber.

"It's just a natural feature that needs to be kept clean," said Velka Kroteva, a hiker.

For individuals who violate the rules on the territory of the park, the fines range from 500 to 2,000 BGN.

A tourist went for a swim in a nature reserve lake in Bulgaria’s Rila Mountains