The Dead Sea is actually a lake, located on the borders of Jordan and Israel. It is situated at the lowest part of the earth, with it surface sitting at around 1300 feet below sea level and the deepest part of the lake bed is about 2300 feet below. The Dead Sea, measures around 50 miles long and 11 miles at its widest point, with the Judaean Hills to the west and the Transjordanian highlands to the east.
Millions of years ago, a saltwater lagoon was connected to the Mediterranean Sea. African and Arabian tectonic plates shifted the land between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean rose. Consequently, this cut-off the ocean water supply for the Dead Sea, leaving it landlocked. The sea is fed by the waters of freshwater springs and aquifers but, due to lack of outflow, water gathers in the Dead Sea and then evaporates in the hot desert, leaving behind salt.
You may have seen the tourist photos where someone is reading a newspaper while floating in the lake, they are real too. The Dead Sea is one of the worlds saltiest bodies of water which makes it super buoyant. Great for relaxation, not so good for if you were wanting to swim a few laps.
The abundance of dissolved minerals have also been known to have many health benefits for your skin and helping to reduce inflammation in the body. The mud from the lake is often lathered onto bodies, left until it is hard and then washed off in the water. This mud is filled with minerals, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.
One thing you won’t need to worry about while swimming in the lake is any fish or creatures pinching your toes! There is nothing living in there, only some bacteria can survive in the saltiness. That’s why its called Dead!
