The Dead Sea is 1378 ft below sea level, the lowest point on earth, 35% salinity, 42 miles long, and 11 miles at its widest point. The bottom is lined with a layer of salt crystals, and aside from a few bacteria and microbial fungi, nothing else lives in the Dead Sea.
Contrary to the belief that it is impossible to drown in the Dead Sea, several people each year do . Floating on your back, it’s nearly impossible to drown, let alone get your head underwater because you “bob” right back up. But floating on your stomach is a different matter. What happens is your feet lift up behind you, and your head gets submerged, followed by panic and drowning. Even trying to turn from your stomach to your back can be difficult; you need to build up momentum and flop yourself over onto your back.
Because of the salt content, the water feels thick and slimy. Getting water in your mouth or in your eyes is a bad, bad idea. Accidentally, both happened to me, and I found myself spitting out the water, as it tasted bitter and “poisonous”, and I found myself crying from the sting when water got into my eyes.
