A LIVELY DIP IN THE DEAD SEA
Israel’s top attraction yields secrets
You can’t really call what people do in the Dead Sea swimming. Floating, yes. Dipping, yes. Wading, yes. But not really swimming.
“No one swims in the Dead Sea ...” Whaaaat??? I’m dozing in the minibus when guide Paule Kedem-Rakower starts to fill my colleagues and me in on one of Israel’s top attractions.
We are, in fact, en route to the Dead Sea — for a swim — so her statement jolts me fully awake. Perhaps I have misunderstood.
“You can’t really call what people do in the Dead Sea swimming,” Kedem-Rakower says. “Floating, yes. Dipping, yes. Wading, yes. But not really swimming.”
The super-salty water — almost 10 times saltier than any ocean — is so buoyant it’s almost impossible to actually swim, she says.
But whatever you call it, a dip in the Dead Sea is high on many travellers’ bucket lists.
Kedem-Rakower’s pronouncement is the beginning of a little tutorial on what many call the “world’s largest natural spa” and how we can make the most of our visit there.
Departing earlier that morning from Jerusalem, we have already stopped at a sign marking Sea Level. Not surprisingly, an enterprising local is standing ready with his camel for photo opportunities (15 shekels, about $5.75).
We will descend another 430.5 metres through rocky desert-like terrain before reaching the shores of the Dead Sea — the lowest land elevation on Earth — Kedem-Rakower says.
And while it’s called a “sea,” it’s really a big lake bordered by Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. Its main tributary is the Jordan River.
The sea — which is roughly 50 kilometres long, 16 km wide and 304 metres deep — lies at the bottom of the Jordan Rift Valley, an enormous depression formed millions of years ago.
The water’s high salt and mineral content has created a hostile environment for plants and animals, so we will not encounter any fish, water bugs, seaweed or any other living thing in the Dead Sea, Kedem-Rakower says.
We may, however, find the salt crystals, which often build up on rocks along the shore and on the sea-bed, hard on our feet.
Kedem-Rakower advises wading into the sea, then “sitting down” slowly in the warm water and gently reclining our upper bodies until we are floating on our backs.
Under no circumstances should we dive, splash or put our faces into the water, she warns. While the salt and minerals will make our skin feel silky smooth, we should avoid getting it into our eyes or mouths as it will burn tender tissue. Swallowing the water is also a big no-no. While one mouthful won’t kill you, it is toxic in larger concentrations, Kedem-Rakower warns.
There are several public beaches along the Dead Sea where you can take a dip on your own, but we have booked a day package at the Premier Dead Sea Spa resort near Ein Bokek. The resort provides towels and has a nice beach, change rooms, indoor and outdoor showers, lockers and a restaurant.
The towels — many of which look as if bleach has been spilled on them — are a clue to the water’s somewhat caustic properties.
Kedem-Rakower advises us to shower and thoroughly rinse our swimsuits after our dip.
We see several women purchase packets of Dead Sea mud and slather it all over their bodies before rinsing it off in the sea to further enhance the benefits to the skin.
But eager for our experience to begin, we forgo the mud and, after changing into our swimsuits, run down to the water’s edge like excited little children on the last day of school.
We are not disappointed.
DEAD SEA PRIMER
1. Avoid splashing and don’t put your head in the water. I splashed a tiny drop in one eye and can confirm it stings like crazy. If you do get it in your eyes, rinse thoroughly with fresh water.
2. Don’t swallow the water.
3. Wear water shoes — especially if you have tender feet like I do. Bring sunscreen.
4. When floating, even a gentle wave can flip you over. Don’t be surprised if you have trouble putting your feet back down on the sea bottom or feel unbalanced when wading. Although it looks like normal water, it’s much more dense.
5. After a dip, notice how the water beads on your skin almost like oil, and takes forever to evaporate, even on a warm sunny day. My skin felt silky smooth for days after.
6. Make sure to wear an old swimsuit. Even though my bathing suit had previously been worn in a chlorinated swimming pool, and I rinsed it afterward, the colours ran.
ODDS AND ENDS
The Dead Sea is rapidly shrinking. In the past three decades, the water level has receded more than 25 metres. To draw attention to the sea’s fragile state and the need for protection, a group of 30 “extreme” swimmers from around the world recently swam the 16 km across the Dead Sea from Jordan to Israel. The swimmers were outfitted with special full-face snorkel masks, which allowed them to put their faces in the water, but protected their eyes and mouths.
World famous for its health properties, people have been visiting the Dead Sea since ancient times. In addition to a salt content higher than 30 per cent (ocean water is about 3.5 per cent), Dead Sea water is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium. It has been touted as a treatment for everything from psoriasis to arthritis.