Spotting a beautiful jellyfish serenely swimming through near-transparent waters in the canals of Venice would’ve been an unthinkable sight just a few weeks ago, but the global standstill created by coronavirus has now made it possible.
Biologist Andrew Mangoni captured video of this elegant visitor to the Italian city close to St Mark’s Square, an area normally teeming with tourists.
Since Italy imposed a lockdown to try to control the spread of Covid-19, Venice’s normally murky canals have cleared, allowing aquatic life to be visible from the surface.
“I was able to film a jellyfish that, really close to the San Marco Square, was swimming only a few inches below the water surface,” Mangoni told CNN.
“A combination of low tide and low traffic has led to the deposition of sediments on the bottom of the canals which has led to an increased transparency of the water in the canals of Venice.”
Officials in the city say that the clearer waters are not an indication of less pollution. The decrease in boats using the canals mean sediment isn’t being stirred up. Air pollution has decreased though.
Destinations worldwide have seen nature stage something of a comeback as human presence is scaled back by travel restrictions and lockdowns. Cities have seen creatures such as kangaroos, goats and pumas explore deserted streets, while bears have been partying in empty national parks.