It's Dead to Me

The Dead Sea. I’ve heard about it for years. . .a body of water so salty that you don’t swim, you float.

The “Dead Sea” is a salt lake that’s 42miles long by 11 miles wide nestled between Israel and Jordan.

While I've heard plenty about the salt levels of the Dead Sea (9 times that of the ocean), it turns out that there’s a lot about the Dead Sea that I didn’t know.

The Dead Sea is made up of a number of minerals: 20 times the bromine levels of the ocean, 15 times the magnesium levels. Overall, between these and the salt, the Dead Sea is made up of 33% solid substances.

These high levels of minerals account for how easily things float.

My view of the Dead Sea!

These minerals are also said to provide fantastic healing powers. The minerals in the Dead Sea are renowned for helping skin allergies and lung problems as well as improving glandular functions. 

However, the high mineral content of the water creates a harsh environment in which most animals can’t survive. This scarcity of aquatic life earned the Dead Sea its name.

Before my visit to Israel, I didn’t know that the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth (1,338 feet below sea level)! Running alongside its western shore is Highway 90, the lowest road in the world (1289 ft below sea level).

Another fun fact: the low elevation air has 10% more oxygen than air at sea level. This dense air naturally filters the sun’s ultraviolet rays making it harder to get a sunburn. But this doesn't help with the heat -- the day I visited the Dead Sea, the thermometer read 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees)!

Sunrise over the Dead Sea

I prepared myself for a fun afternoon of frolicking (and floating) in super salty water.

However, it turns out that an afternoon in the Dead Sea isn't that carefree! First of all, with water that salty, any cuts or wounds are pretty painful. This I knew in advance. But, there’s so much more to worry about:

This is some high maintenance frolicking! 

Despite reading the warnings, I managed to get water on my face. Dead Sea water in your eyes sting terribly – and can even temporarily blind you! Swallowing just a few gulps of water can be dangerous or fatal. But even if you can avoid ingesting the water, just getting some on your lips tastes nasty! Dehydration is a real concern – not just because of the high temperatures, but the water is so saturated with minerals, it sucks out the body’s fluids like leeches. When you get out of the water, its best to rinse off immediately -- otherwise you inevitably wipe your eyes, or your mouth, and you're treated to uncomfortable reminders of the Dead Sea. It's best to rinse anyway because the minerals in the water leave your skin coated in an oily substance -- it's unlike any water I've been in!

Sadly, the Dead Sea is shrinking. There are no natural outlets from the Dead Sea. Traditionally, the inflow of the Jordan River was balanced by evaporation. Over millions of years, it is this evaporation that caused the high mineral levels. Today, 95% of the water in the Jordan River is being diverted so the level of the Dead Sea is lowering. In some areas, the shore has moved over 2km since 1967! The sea level is dropping about 3 feet per year.

Jordan and Israel are talking about various plans to divert water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to keep this unique ecosystem from disappearing. I sincerely hope these efforts succeed! Although the Dead Sea isn’t ideal for swimming and splashing around, there’s something remarkable about walking into water, and just laying back and going for a float. . .

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