Of Dolphins and Cargo Ships
More Four Seasons Stories
Connecting the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus River that laps against Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus is the both world’s narrowest and second busiest international shipping lane. In any given year, up to 50,000 vessels make their way through its S-shaped bend – everything from ferries to fishing boats to cruise ships to gargantuan barges hauling commercial freight.
Hotel staff and locals will tell you that navigating its crowded and swiftly-flowing currents requires a certain degree of finesse – even more so if you’re operating without an outboard motor or navigation system.
Good thing there's chartered vessel service from the private dock of Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus--either by water taxi or our hotel boat. Cruises from the dock are magical, showcasing illuminated bridges in the evening, old summer mansions and palaces, Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses on the banks, private museums like Sabancı, and if it's your lucky day-- a pod of playful dolphins.
Given all the bustling commerce, it may come a surprise that dolphins have been making their home in this environment--many of them more successfully than you’d imagine. Called by some the “street children” of the Bosphorus Strait, this nimble and resourceful group never ceases to delight visitors to Istanbul.
