North Aral Sea

The North Aral Sea is the northern basin of the former single Aral Sea, located in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region. It has been the focus of restoration efforts that have partially recovered water levels in the northern basin.

The shoreline and nearby settlements show clear signs of the Aral Sea’s dramatic shrinkage and partial recovery; visitors often observe exposed former seabed, abandoned ship hulks in some areas, and a returning local fishing activity where water levels have risen. The landscape is stark and illustrates large-scale environmental change.

The Aral Sea split into separate basins after extensive diversion of its feeding rivers in the Soviet period, leading to severe shrinkage through the late 20th century. Kazakhstan built the Kokaral Dam in 2005 to retain water in the northern basin, which led to rising water levels, reduced salinity and partial return of fish stocks in that basin.

The North Aral Sea occupies the northern portion of the former Aral Sea in central Kazakhstan, inland from the Aral region and associated with towns and infrastructure on the Kazakh steppe.

• Partial ecological recovery: Rebuilding work including the Kokaral Dam, completed in 2005, led to a marked partial recovery of water level and salinity in the northern basin.

• Use Aralsk as your base when visiting the North Aral Sea - it is the nearest town with road access and boat operators who know local landing points.
• Visit in late spring through early autumn when weather is milder and boat travel across the shallower northern basin is most reliable; strong winds and storms make visits difficult outside this window.
• Allow time to see the Kokaral dam area and nearby shoreline villages-these give the best perspective on the sea's partial restoration and the local fisheries, which many casual visitors miss.