Aral Sea region transforms into desert landscape with fishing villages and ship remains

September 23, 2026 at 05:20 PM2 min

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A Zakon.kz correspondent traveled over 100 kilometers across the former Aral Sea bed from Aralsk, documenting fishing villages, sand-buried houses, and the distant sea. The route passed through the Ustyurt Plateau, the villages of Zhalanash and Tastubek, and the Akespe hot spring. The journey reveals a landscape where shells and rusted ship remains mark the sea's retreat.

Key Facts

The journey from Aralsk to the Aral Sea covers more than 100 kilometers across the former seabed.
The route includes the Ustyurt Plateau, the villages of Zhalanash and Tastubek, Butakov Bay, the sand-buried village of Akespe, and the Karasandyk tract.
Guide Fariza Bektaskyzy, a specialist from the district tourism department and volunteer of the Aral geopark, accompanied the correspondent.
The first five kilometers from Aralsk are asphalt road, after which a gravel road begins.
The Ustyurt Plateau features steep cliffs called chinks, stretching for many kilometers.

Route and Landscape

The correspondent departed from Aralsk early in the morning with guide Fariza Bektaskyzy, a specialist from the district tourism department and volunteer of the Aral geopark. The route passed through the city of Aralsk, the Ustyurt Plateau, the village of Zhalanash, the village of Tastubek, the Aral Sea, Butakov Bay, the sand-buried village of Akespe with its hot spring, and the Karasandyk tract. The first five kilometers of the road are asphalt, after which a gravel road begins. Along the way, herds of horses and camels, camel thorn, and the tamarisk shrub locally called jingil are visible. The steppe appears yellow in places and green in others, with the lilac-colored jingil resembling steppe lavender.

Ustyurt Plateau Geology

Several tens of kilometers before the fishing village of Zhalanash, the terrain changes with cliffs and ledges of the Ustyurt Plateau appearing on the left. The Ustyurt Plateau is almost flat but features steep cliffs called chinks that stretch for many kilometers and resemble mountain ranges from a distance. The cliffs reveal layers of ancient rocks formed millions of years ago. Shells and other traces of ancient marine life, as well as limestone, clay, sandstone, and gypsum, are found here. On sunny days, individual gypsum crystals can sparkle on the surface.