Look at that… It’s eerie! Exceptionally low tides have drained the lagoon of Venice, leaving Venetian gondolas stranded on dried-up canal banks. Yes, look at these famed Venetian gondolas helplessly abandoned on the docks, as the low tides caused by Wednesday’s ‘super blue blood moon’ dried up the canals, robbing gondoliers of their money and residents of their transportation.

This is the third year that Venice has experienced record low water levels, with data showing a decrease of up to 60 cm lower than average. Two years ago, the city reported water levels up to 70 cm below normal levels, the lowest ever recorded in city data.

Now, with little to no water to supplement the famous Venetian aesthetic, tourists instead get a glimpse of the filth buried at the bottom of the canals, gondolas perched on muddy banks, and canal-side building walls eroded away by the water.

This is especially surprising given that studies say the city has been sinking over the past few years, making it prone to various instances of heavy flooding during the year.

However, alongside low tides, the city has been experiencing cold winter weather, lack of rain and low tides due to the “super blue blood moon” all of which contribute to its dried-up canals.

Venice relies on its growing tourism to counter the effects of its shrinking population. Official census figures show that the city, which once housed a population of over 175,000 has steadily been decreasing, since 1951, to 155,000 residents.

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Via Nuova Venezia, National Post