A Disappearing Shoreline: The Aral Sea, Uzbekistan

After leaving Khiva, I headed towards west towards Nukus and with some days to spare before my Turkmenistan visa began, I was hoping to find fellow travellers to share the cost of heading to the Aral Sea.

Luckily enough, on arriving to Nukus and speaking to receptionist where I was staying, I managed to meet a nice Japanese couple Keigo and Naoko who also had the same idea. Having asked around and hotel who wanted to charged an over-inflated price, we managed to talk to a taxi driver who happened to know a driver in Moynaq who we manage to get the number. After some negotiating with the driver directly, we managed to get a MUCH more agreeable price and about half of what the hotel wanted charge!

Like a local, the next day we headed to the bus station for the local bus towards Moynaq where the old port once was.

Local bus for Nukus-Moynaq

Standing room only inside the bus! Doesn't stop the locals from partying and getting drunk though!

Lunch break on the way to the Aral Sea from Moynaq with out driver.

Having reached Moynaq and heading towards the current Aral Sea shoreline, we were constantly reminded by what the sea once was. From Moynaq, it was about 120km to the current western shoreline where we would camp for the night. Once the fourth biggest inland sea in the world, it had since shrunk by 90 percent since the 1950s to now it's current size.

30km in from Moynaq towards the Aral sea, signs showings that this was once the seabed/shoreline can be seen with scattered seashells all over the plain.

Storm brewing. Shot taken about 20km from the current shoreline 

Our ride from camp to the shoreline. 

Current shoreline

Baron land.... about 1km from the shoreline. Once upon a time, it was a seabed under 40m of water.

Salt residue left behind.

Old western shoreline

Getting stuck in the sand!

The ship graveyard in Moynaq. Once a prosperous seaport and fishing village. It's now lies 120km from the Aral sea and remains of old ships rusting away.

Ship's graveyard in Moynaq.

Ship's graveyard in Moynaq.