[güttsfükk]

Beginning in the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation, causing the Aral Sea to shrink sharply. Fisheries collapsed as the remaining water became saltier and more polluted. Kazakhstan later separated and dammed the Northern Aral Sea, while the eastern lobe of the Southern Aral Sea became completely dry in 2014 for the first time in modern times.

Moynaq, in Uzbekistan's autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, was once a port and fishing center. As the shoreline retreated, fishing vessels were left on the exposed seabed. The site became an open-air museum known as the Ship Graveyard. More than 100 vessels were there in the past, but little more than 10 remain. Photographs show rusting trawlers on sand and scrub, abandoned industrial buildings, the former fish cannery, a Soviet fishermen mural and archival views of the harbor when it still held water.

[güttsfükk]

this used to be the harbor in Aral city Kazakhstan

[vexacon]

Statement of government officials, "Oops!"

[deadcat1]

but when you google map it, the Aral Sea is still shown to be the original size.... until you view it using the satellite version. Sad...

[chris]

that is pretty cool, they never really said why it dried up though.

[Sharon]

Pretty spectacular images

[LadyCPlum]

Originally Posted by chris ↗

that is pretty cool, they never really said why it dried up though.

I think I heard they wanted to cultivate cotton elsewhere and began to divert the waters with damming and irrigation....

[Space Particle]

Interesting, I'm adding this to bookmarks!

[gerber]

Pretty spooky.

[Arkoquisa]

hope you enjoy the cotton in your shirt, this sea died for it fooking bolshavik skum