Swimming in Salt

The Dead Sea is dying.

Recently the Dead Sea has been shrinking about three feet per year because Jordan has been diverting water from the river that feeds the sea from the north.

The picture below marks the spot where the sea shore was in 1985.

Most scientists believe the Dead Sea will never disappear entirely because the evaporation of water slows down as surface area decreases and salinity increases.

And if nothing else, the Dead Sea is salty. Swimming in it is an odd sensation; it’s simply impossible to sink.

We stopped in at Ein Gedi, near the lowest point of land on earth (1,385 feet below sea level) to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits the salty water and mud have provided since King Herod’s day.

There is hope for the future of the Dead Sea. In May 2009 at the World Economic Forum, Jordan announced its plans to construct the “Jordan National Red Sea Development Project.”

The plan is to bring seawater from the Red Sea near Aqaba to the Dead Sea. Jordan hopes to begin detailed project design in early 2010 and be delivering water by 2017.

Israel has expressed support for the project, but has not signed on as yet, primarily due to environmental concerns.

Still, what some have called the “Peace Canal” may help ensure the Dead Sea will live on.

More pictures from our visit to the Dead Sea and Masada are here.