Barsa-Kelmes (Russian: Барсакельмес, Kazakh: Барсакелмес, Barsakelmes meaning "the place of no return") is a former island, the largest in the Aral Sea. Its area was 133 km2 in the 1980s, but as the sea became more shallow it steadily grew, until in the 1990s it ceased to be an island. Its highest altitude is 113 m. "Barsa-Kelmes" means "the place of no return". It was given such a name because of number of stories by people (or groups of people) returning after years or even decades after going to the island whilst those people were saying of only 2 or 3 days.