The Shipwreck of the Aral Sea
Ship Cementery near Aralsk( Kazakhstan).The Aral Sea lies on the
border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and it was the world's
fourth-largest lake until the Soviets decided that the two rivers that
fed the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, would be diverted
for irrigating the desert in order to grow rice, melons, cereal, and
specially thirsty cotton crops. Since large scale irrigation began in
the 1960s, the sea's surface area has shrunk more than 60 percent, and
its volume by almost 80 percent. Former fishing villages as Muynak and
Aralsk are now dozens of kilometres away from the shoreline.
VOTE HERE FOR JPGMAG: www.jpgmag.com/photos/500457
Comments and faves
riacrdo, alexandre salomon, Big301, antologiyacrash, and 72 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Lee Otis (65 months ago | reply)
Awesome shot.
fuguito (65 months ago | reply)
Impressive! Too sad what is happening to the Aral Sea.
IMP1 (65 months ago | reply)
Great shot, should be in the shipwreck pool!
Elena Senao (65 months ago | reply)
Thanks to all!
It is very sad... but luckily in the kazakh part (Aralsk) the sea is coming again slowly ( a dam has been built to save the little north part of Aral sea)....Sadly the south part is condemn to disapear
borabora (65 months ago | reply)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=caDLnBhgErU
elena.. u should like it...
video of Teoman from turkey...
Elena Senao (65 months ago | reply)
Thanks Bora, I like Teoman´s music but is the first time I see this video...
chris.merwe (65 months ago | reply)
Great shot with a story....thanks!
Gert van Duinen (64 months ago | reply)
I have faved this photo a couple of days ago, but I keep coming back to this one. I couldn't resist to comment once.
It's an awesome photograph, the subject says it all.
You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Surfettante (63 months ago | reply)
Great photo. The Aral is the greatest monument to the tragedy of central Asia and the "Great Game" the distant powers played there. What's next?
worldwidewandering (60 months ago | reply)
You are invited to post this and other nice photos you have of Kazakhstan to worldwidewandering - a travel atlas. Post comments
and thumbnail photos to the Kazakhstan discussion thread.
Nurgeldy (59 months ago | reply)
впечатляющий кадр.
Elena Senao (59 months ago | reply)
Thanks all!
Спасибо!
aral_sea_wwd (59 months ago | reply)
Elena
Is there any chance that you would allow a conservation organisation to use this photo on a poster about wetlands? It would need to be high resolution - it would help to illustrate the threat to people's health and livelihoods of bad management of water. Please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks, Sandra
Elena Senao (59 months ago | reply)
Sandra,I've sent you a private message
GonzaloBazán Zgz (58 months ago | reply)
Me gustó al composición..
Como en las de las barcas bocaabajo.
Suelo uir de ella pero merece la pena :)
ScottS101 (55 months ago | reply)
This tells a sad tale about our over use of the environmant. Great shot!
pisel (53 months ago | reply)
Una foto preciosa.
richard thomson (52 months ago | reply)
Powerful.
Welcome to the lizopedia (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
magellano (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
acastellano (52 months ago | reply)
Amazing! Very eye opening.
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
Blinkr (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
G_Rebiere (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
Shabbir Siraj (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
FilipLazaric (52 months ago | reply)
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
a n j a (52 months ago | reply)
I once saw a documentary about this sea, it's such a sad story...
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
ramnathsiva (52 months ago | reply)
nice story. dramatic ship.
I vote for this photo in the Lonely Planet Publications group's Water2 challenge
*Dreamkeeper* (50 months ago | reply)
what an odd and surrealistic image. As if this boat was made out of sand and silts of the Aral sea! Great shot and would love to visit this country! :)
andrediaslopes (49 months ago | reply)
wowowow!! COOL!
miscstoneage (49 months ago | reply)
Nice one, I would call it the prince of dead sea...
Unfortunately it isn't the only place humans will destroy in future. We shouldn't harm nature it is our home and we did not created it.
aehric (46 months ago | reply)
Great photo. I love it.
jsmithinistanbul (45 months ago | reply)
Speaks volumes about policies gone bad.
centralasiatraveller (44 months ago | reply)
wonderful photos!
elena, i've sent you a PM, I would love to hear back from you soon
kynezz (40 months ago | reply)
its huge!
lazzo51 (36 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Ships on Land, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
harvest breeding (34 months ago | reply)
stunning picture and dramatic story!!!
luca meneghel (33 months ago | reply)
amazing pucture, i love the composition...that tella a really sad story :P
but the pic is wonderful
i love it
AEJHarrison (28 months ago | reply)
WoW!! I love this photo. It looks so strange and defiant stood there proudly. Very sad and interesting about the Aral sea. This is my very favourite subject. I just love boats!! :o)
michaeljohngrist (24 months ago | reply)
Hi Elena, I'd love to use this great photo for a post on my site outofruins.org (http://www.outofruins.net), where I'm putting together a library of great ruins sites and works of art with an abandoned feeling. I'd credit you for the photo and of course provide a linkback to the site of your choice.
Would that usage be alright with you?
Sincerely,
Michael Grist.
Elena Senao (24 months ago | reply)
yes Michael, you can post the image on your site ;)
michaeljohngrist (24 months ago | reply)
Thanks Elena! I just put the post up here- www.michaeljohngrist.com/2010/06/the-sea-that -vanished-ov...
Best,
Mike.
This photo was invited and added to the PaniAbad group.
B.Ardabili (17 months ago | reply)
Thanks for sharing! in " Pani Abadi group"
Robstorm Photography (15 months ago | reply)
Ilike the perspective...Nice one...
deep_khunda (13 months ago | reply)
nice click :)