+++CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF DEATH+++
The bodies float off the coast of Libya, near Tripoli.
Authorities don't know what exactly happened to the boat they believe was carrying up to 200 illegal migrants across these Mediterranean waters, possibly from sub-Saharan Africa.
But this is where the journey ended for at least 20 of the passengers including a child.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF LIBYAN COASTGUARD, ABDEL LATIF MOHAMED IBRAHIM, SAYING:
"We found 16 individuals alive, the rest are lost. We are investigating the rest. There were 20 bodies, found dead in the water."
Libya is a popular transit route for North African migrants hoping to reach Europe.
It's close to Italy and Malta; it's borders are largely porous.
Tens of thousands have crossed from North Africa successfully...but for thousands of others, the journey stops here, a cold, impersonal end at sea.
