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The Dead Sea is one of the most famous bodies of water on the planet. Even if you don’t know where the Dead Sea is (between Israel and Jordan), you have likely heard of it before. Not only is it a site of great historical and biblical interest, the lake itself, for it is a lake, has a number of unique properties. These properties mostly arise from the hyper-salinity of the lake; its salt content is so high that it dramatically increases the buoyancy of people on its surface.
Is Scuba Diving Even Possible?
Yes! Although many divers assume that the buoyancy of the diver on the lake’s surface would make actually descending beneath it impossible. Admittedly, and unsurprisingly, diving in the Dead Sea is very different to diving anywhere else. For one thing, divers in the Dead Sea, in order to account for the extreme salinity, have to load themselves up with 100 pounds of extra weight. Full face masks are also required, again because of the extreme salinity.
What is There to See?
The conditions in the Dead Sea are unsuitable for supporting marine life, you therefore won’t find any coral, rays, or even fish under these waters. However, the sights you will find make the experience more than worthwhile. Divers who have experienced the depths of the Dead Sea describe the waters as appearing to be filled with floating ice-like crystals.
As you may have guessed, these crystals are in fact the salt for which the lake is famed. When conditions are optimal, being submerged in the Dead Sea is like being submerged in a lake filled with glistening diamonds.
Diving Tours
The diving tours of the Dead Sea are a relatively recent development. Those who are familiar with the region won’t be surprised to learn that these tours are an Israeli innovation – the Israeli’s love their extreme sports. Avraham Bresler is one of the operators of such tours. He took his first plunge into the Dead Sea some 20 years ago, when he was being paid to purge an air pocket in one of the underground pipes running through the seabed.
He was so taken aback by the beauty of the underwater landscape, and the surprisingly pleasant diving conditions, that he became convinced tourists would pay good money to be able to experience it for themselves. It turns out he was right. Not only do the salt deposits give the whole lake a completely unique appearance from beneath the surface, the water itself is pleasantly, and surprisingly, warm.
Diving in the Dead Sea is by no means easy, however. Divers are required to log at least 50 hours of diving beforehand, but for those who are confident divers, there is nowhere else on Earth like the Dead Sea.
Anyone looking for a completely unique experience will find it at the Dead Sea. Scuba diving in this lake is an unforgettable experience, and when you’ve completed your dive, there is a huge amount to be seen and done on the lake’s shores.
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