The Dead Sea is an Experience Like No Other

The Dead Sea is a hypersaline body of water lying in the Jordan Valley, on the border between Jordan, Israel, and the Westbank. Incidentally, you might be curious where the Palestinian territory called the Westbank got its name from, it got it from its location on the west bank of the Jordan River. The Dead Sea lies at the lowest point on Earth.

The name of the Dead Sea comes from the inability of animals to survive in its saline waters. That high salinity is caused by the extreme heat causing evaporation of the water, aided by the fact that the Dead Sea is endorheic. "Endorheic" means that there is no outlet for the lake's water, other than by evaporation. Its main tributary is the Jordan River which flows southward into it, but the Jordan River's volume has been decreasing, which means less water entering the Dead Sea, but the water keeps evaporating. The water level of the lake has dropped significantly during the last century, causing the southern end of the lake to become drained, leaving little other than salt flats.

The lake's extreme salinity and water evaporation offer travellers a unique experience like something out of a sci-fi film. The salt formations resemble the face of another planet, while the high salinity of the water allows swimmers to float and feel that they are defying gravity. The water's extreme salt concentration makes the water more dense than your body, making it impossible for you to sink. But all visitors have fun trying to make themselves sink! One thing you need to be aware of is that the sea's water will sting like crazy if it enters your eyes, so you need to avoid getting water splashed in your face. If you do get the salt water in your eyes, you will probably need to enlist the help of another person to wash out your eyes with fresh water. On top of that, the salt water will enter every single crevice and scrape or scratch on your whole body. If you have shaving cuts, if you bite your nails, if you stubbed your toe, you will be made very aware of it when you enter the water. But that is best part of the Dead Sea experience, that freakish shock, and you will indeed benefit from the water's healing characteristics. Even if it stings a little!.

The highly concentrated minerals in the sea also make the mud of the surrounding shores have therapeutic healing benefits. It is part of the Dead Sea experience to cover yourself in mud to enjoy its special properties. The sea's water itself also contains those minerals, so swimming also brings the visitor those same health benefits.
The Dead Sea is an essential part of a trip to the Middle East, and is one of those special travel experiences you will always remember.