The Dead Sea - the world’s lowest lake chases sad records

The Dead Sea, a salt lake measuring 800 km² without any outflows, is the world’s lowest elevated lake. It is located half an hour’s drive from Jerusalem and around 90 minutes away from Tel Aviv and comprises a northern and a southern part. Its surface elevation is often cited as 400m below sea level, however it is in fact closer to 420m below sea level due to advances in water surface recession rates.

Thanks to its high salinity levels, almost ten times that of the ocean, the Jordan River estuary is only home to some algae and bacteria, as well as a few types of plants with high salt level tolerance. Not a great idea to quench your thirst here then, but all the better for bathing. Word of caution though, even though you cannot sink due to the high salt concentration, you can still drown.

The Dead Sea is an experience all year round. The journey, the desert, the colours, the water … a unique place on the planet. We recommend going on a Friday. Due to the weekly Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath, which starts promptly at 4pm on a Friday, the motorway outside Jerusalem is practically deserted.

The Dead Sea problem : it only has one primary inflow, the River Jordan. Since water is increasingly being extracted from the River Jordan, for tourists, industry, fruit, plantations etc., and the Jordan is diminishing to a little brook because of it, the water levels of the lake are dropping by up to one metre every year. Experts fear that if action is not taken, the Dead Sea will dry out within the next 50 years.

Israelis and Jordans are planning a supplier canal from the Red Sea or the Mediterranean Sea. The idea isn’t exactly new: the suggestion originally stems from engineers in 1855. The gradient of the 300km long canal could be used to generate energy. However, this solution does come with environmental risks and is also highly costly (planned construction cost: several billion Euros).

The mixture of the different salty salt waters (the Dead Sea has high calcium rates, the Red Sea is very high in sulphate) could cause a plaster build up and the reaction of the Coral Reef in the Red Sea due to the necessary water extraction is also cause for concern.

Regardless, the international canal project is a frequent subject of debate – especially since the Dead Sea attracts countless tourists, making it an important source of income and its velvet-like oily water is a secret weapon in fighting many a skin problem. Yet the lowering of the water level is becoming increasingly complicated with every year that passes, today hotels and holiday resorts are conspicuously further away from the coastline and the difference in height to the water is already enormous – and is increasing rapidly.