The Dead Sea, Israel
Time is running out for this hyper saline lake, the saltiest spot on Earth, and a swimmer’s favorite thanks to its natural buoyancy. A vital resource for the region, the Sea is the sole feeder of the Jordan River as well as a major center for health research. The last four decades, however, have seen irreversible damage, as mineral mining from farmers and cosmetic companies continue to drain the sea of its rich resources.
It’s lost a third of its contents—for proof, look to the former seaside restaurants and hotels, now isolated a mile from shore—and an even greater threat looms: sinkholes, appearing where the water has retreated, bringers of freshwater that dissolve even more salt from the land. Scientists have determined that the coastline recedes by some 3 feet per year, and give it 50 years before it’s gone for good.
