Floating in the Dead Sea

Yesterday I detailed our morning exploring the desert fortress Masada and Ein Gedi oasis with Abraham Tours. But that’s only half our day — we spend the rest of the afternoon at the Dead Sea.

Here’s our A+ guide, Alon. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and provides excellent commentary throughout our tour.

Before floating in the Dead Sea, we stop at this overlook.

Even though I first glimpsed the Dead Sea during my time in Jordan, I’m still taken aback by the color and clarity of this salt water.

The surface of the Dead Sea is 1,400 feet below sea level. It earns its name from its incredibly high level of salinity — nearly 10x as salty as the ocean — which makes undersea life all but impossible.

Rainfall is scarce (about 4 inches annually) and the Dead Sea is slowly evaporating at a rate of three feet per year. Our guide points out how the shoreline has drastically receded at the areas he used to swim in as a child.

I’m on tour with my sister and our uncle. Such a treat!

Back in the van… time for our ~~swim~~ float!

We pass by this security check point. They wave us through.

While our entrance fees at Masada and Ein Gedi were not included in the tour price, this stop at the Dead Sea is covered. This particular area has changing rooms, showers, a store, cafe, and lounge chairs by the sea.

A fellow tour guest tries out this iconic pose for a photo op:

We’re ready to get our float on.

It’s an unusual sensation — it feels like I’m wearing an invisible life preserver that keeps me from submerging deeper than my bottom.

Here’s a video:

Turns out floating is only half the fun. The shores are lined with thick mud that’s said to have healing powers — in fact, beauty products sold in this area use the mud (which, like the water, also has a high level of salinity) as a primary ingredient.

My sister prepares me for a photo op:

Ta-da! This photo even ended up on my Christmas card — a bold move on my part, as I’d normally choose to avoid posting swimsuit photos on Facebook, let alone on a holiday card. But it’s so cute I can’t resist.

We all agree that post-shower, our skin feels cleaner and shinier… probably a combination of the salt water and mud, or just the power of expectations. My sister has since tried some Dead Sea beauty products (she has a soap allergy but the natural ingredients in these products are fine) and she’s quite happy with them.