SECRETS OF THE DEAD SEA
Taking a dip at one of Israel’s top attractions bucket-list experience
“No one swims in the Dead Sea ...” Whaaaat???
I’m dozing in the minibus when guide Paule Kedem-Rakower starts to fill in my colleagues and me 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, KedemRakower 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
You can’t really call what people do in the Dead Sea swimming. Floating, yes. Dipping, yes. Wading, yes. But not really swimming.