The Dead Sea Is Dying

When swimming in the Dead Sea, you will never sink. It is bordering Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, and it is 8-9 times saltier than all other oceans.  Accordingly, It is much more dense than all other oceans. Swimming in it feels more like a luxury than anything. With it’s rich minerals, the water seems more oily than salty. This draws a lot of tourism to these countries.

Minerals are also the problem that has recently arisen. Because these minerals are so unique, people want more and more of them. The neighboring countries ship out cosmetic products made from the minerals in the sea. Mineral extraction still continues and is damaging the sea. Also, the waterways surrounding the Dead Sea that keep it going have been diverted and are causing the Dead Sea to enter a period of manmade drought.

But humans are not entirely responsible.  The dry, hot climate is also a leading cause of the shrinking sea. Over the last few centuries, the sea has shrunk drastically. The water level used to be high enough that a person could walk out of the main building in the tourist resort of Ein Gedi and see the waves splashing up against it. Now, the water is so distant that tourists have to climb down rocks, cross a busy road and then walk through a bunch of marshy plants and mud.

The drying up of the Dead Sea is inevitable at the moment because no one wants to stop their business endeavors to help rejuvenate it. There is a plan that Israel and Jordan came up with to help fix the problem, but it hasn’t been put into effect and no one knows if it ever will be. This will be a huge problem because the Dead Sea is a famous landmark.