Luigi Costantini/AP
A gondola crosses the historic Grand Canal in Venice as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads over it, Sunday, May 28, 2023.
CNN
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A mysterious patch of fluorescent green water that appeared on Venice’s famous Grand Canal Sunday was caused by a chemical commonly used in underwater construction to help detect leaks, environmental authorities said.
The chemical – fluorescein – is non-toxic. It remains unclear how the substance fell into the canal, but the Regional Agency for the Environment of Venice (ARPAV) said that given the amount released it could not be an accident.
The green blob was first noticed by residents near the Rialto Bridge on Sunday morning local time and slowly grew throughout the day.
Pictures show gondolas, water taxis and water bus boats skimming the emerald substance.
Luigi Costantini/AP
Gondolas navigate the Rialto Bridge on the historic Grand Canal in Venice as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads over it, on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Luigi Costantini/AP
People observe the historic Grand Canal in Venice as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads through it.
No group has claimed responsibility for the action and local police are investigating several leads, including environmental activism, a Venice Police spokesperson told CNN.
Additional test results are expected later this week, which will help identify the exact amount of the substance in the water.
Luca Zaia, the president of the Venice region, warned that environmental activists could carry out acts of copying.
Additional test results are expected later this week, which will help identify the exact amount of the substance in the water.
The strange coloring comes as the city celebrates the Vogalonga boat event, which was created to fight the wave motion and to restore Venetian traditions and help spread attention for the environment and nature as well as the architecture that Biennale, which opened at the end of the week.
This is not the first time that the Grand Canal in Venice has changed color.
In 1968 Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu dyed canal water green with a fluorescent dye called Fluorescein, during the annual Venice Biennale. The move is designed to bring attention to ecological issues and the relationship between nature and civilization.
