The Dead Sea beaches are the lowest elevation on the Earth’s surface on dry land. It is 34 miles (55 km.) long and varies between 11 miles (18 km.) and 2 miles (3 km.) in width. The Dead Sea is 378 m (1240 ft) below sea level. There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. People can float effortlessly on the waters of the Dead Sea due to its concentration of minerals, which is the highest in the world, as much as 35% of the water is dissolved salts! Down to about 130 feet (40 meters), the seawater comprises about 300 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. That\’s about ten times the salinity of the oceans. The Dead Sea is actually a lake with only one official source – the Jordan River.
photos: Itamar Grinberg
credit: israeltourism