private beaches are at the top end of the sea, so we actually skirted most
of it Jordanian shoreline. Its crystal blue waters looked so refreshing
disguising the fact that it is so salty and warm to swim in. Its edges were
white from the clumps of salty deposits left behind from the continual
evaporation. With such little rainfall and the decreasing flow from the
Jordan River the Dead Sea is slowly shrinking and by 2030 could be nothing
but an oversized salt flat. Measures are currently underway to siphon water
from the Red Sea through a series of tunnels and canals to keep the sea
viable.
Why is it called Dead? It is too salty for anything to survive within. So
Salty that is has amazing buoyancy, which makes it so popular for tourists
to visit. Being very careful not to get any water on your face or in your
eyes, it is hard fighting the urge to swim as you would in any other body of
water. Best to stay afloat on your back, but it can be a challenge getting
yourself upright again.
We were taken to Amman Beach. Not only did we have access to the private
beach, but also use of their change rooms, showers and freshwater swimming
pool. The pool came as a welcome refreshing relief after swimming in the
warm hypersalinated waters.
The Jordan side of the Dead Sea was much more pleasant to swim in than on
the Israeli side. It was much hotter the day we swam in 2011. The heat made
it unbearable to leave the salt on your skin and we were all scrambling to
get into the showers to refresh our skin. But today it was a delight.
Instead of the silty sludgy mud, at this beach the sea bed was sandy and
easy to walk on. The warm water felt silky on your skin. Buoyancy was
greater, and it really felt like we were sitting high in the water. We
helped and laughed at each other as we tried to stay upright with some
finding it difficult to fight the urge to roll over. We passed a very soggy
patter around for a great photo opportunities.
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