These bleak photos shows what happens to swimming pools after they've been abandoned for years

Mark AbadiJun 16, 2018, 19:00 IST

A former soldier of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (FACA) walks down a flight of stairs near an unmaintained swimming pool within the crumbling former palace of late self-proclaimed Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa near the village of Barengo, south of the capital Bangui March 17, 2014.REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

Swimming pools get abandoned because of natural disasters, poor management, and other reasons.
Years later, images of the pools are often bleak and eerie.

We usually think of swimming pools as places for fun, relaxation, and exercise.

But what happens when those pools are abandoned and left to nature?

A number of factors can lead to a pool's abandonment, from mismanagement to natural disasters to political unrest. But no matter the cause, the resulting images are often eerie and bleak.

Here are 10 photos that show what swimming pools look like once they're abandoned for good.

See These bleak photos shows what happens to swimming pools after they've been abandoned for years >>

This used to be a gleaming upscale resort on the Adriatic island of Krk, Croatia. But today it sits abandoned because of ownership and management issues.

Source: Associated Press

Hosts of the Olympic Games are notorious for abandoning their venues after the festivities have ended. Here's what the Olympic swimming pool in Athens — hosts of the 2004 Olympics — looks like today.

Source: Getty

Nearby, the outdoor pool in the Olympic Village isn't doing much better. Hosting the Games cost Athens an estimated 9 billion euros.

Source: Getty

Here's an old swimming pool at an abandoned resort in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The city was once a bustling vacation spot, but it's reputation has suffered in the wake of recent terrorist incidents.

Source: Getty

This former bungalow resort in Myrsini, Greece, is now a shelter for hundreds of refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Source: Associated Press

This algae-ridden pool once belonged to the Jean-Bedel Bokossa, the late ruler of the Central African Republic. Bokossa was overthrown in 1979 — the crumbling palace is now occupied by rebel soldiers.

Source: Reuters

This backyard pool in Staten Island, New York, was abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. After the storm ravaged the New York area, the state bought 400 homes and bulldozed them to make room for green space.

Source: Associated Press

Nature has started to take over this pool, another one abandoned in Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy.

Source: Reuters

This abandoned swimming pool in New Orleans is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Scientists regularly introduce 'mosquito fish' into waters like these to control the insect's population.

Source: Associated Press

This abandoned hotel in the Catskill Mountains of New York has seen better days. The hotel's been closed since 1986.

Source: Getty

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These bleak photos shows what happens to swimming pools after they've been abandoned for years

This used to be a gleaming upscale resort on the Adriatic island of Krk, Croatia. But today it sits abandoned because of ownership and management issues.

Hosts of the Olympic Games are notorious for abandoning their venues after the festivities have ended. Here's what the Olympic swimming pool in Athens — hosts of the 2004 Olympics — looks like today.

Nearby, the outdoor pool in the Olympic Village isn't doing much better. Hosting the Games cost Athens an estimated 9 billion euros.

Here's an old swimming pool at an abandoned resort in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The city was once a bustling vacation spot, but it's reputation has suffered in the wake of recent terrorist incidents.

This former bungalow resort in Myrsini, Greece, is now a shelter for hundreds of refugees from Syria and Iraq.

This algae-ridden pool once belonged to the Jean-Bedel Bokossa, the late ruler of the Central African Republic. Bokossa was overthrown in 1979 — the crumbling palace is now occupied by rebel soldiers.

This backyard pool in Staten Island, New York, was abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. After the storm ravaged the New York area, the state bought 400 homes and bulldozed them to make room for green space.

Nature has started to take over this pool, another one abandoned in Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy.

This abandoned swimming pool in New Orleans is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Scientists regularly introduce 'mosquito fish' into waters like these to control the insect's population.

This abandoned hotel in the Catskill Mountains of New York has seen better days. The hotel's been closed since 1986.