The Dead Sea: As Sad as it is Beautiful

Light green water dotted by blocs of ice-white salt, salt crystals forming on the oars. Yigal Tzur joined the “Rowing for a Clean Sea” project

Yigal Tzur |Published: 04.18.07 , 18:18

In Hebrew it's called "Yam Halech," (the Sea of Salt), yet it's English name, the Dead Sea, seems more fitting; rowing on the water not a sound is heard, no sign of life is seen, no fish or insects, not even a bird, at times just a dead branch covered in salt drifts by.

The project “Rowing for a Clean Sea” marked its third year last month with an expedition in the seas of Israel from the Red Sea in the south along the Mediterranean coast to the Kinneret (Lake of Galilee) and the Dead Sea for a total of 125 miles. The organizer, rowing freak Ronny Levinson, envisioned the journey hoping to mobilize public protest against the continued pollution and neglect of the beaches.

Careful, don't fall in (Photo: Yigal Tzur)

Levinsion's vision gained popularity with many joining his campaign including the Standards Institution of Israel of and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Many ordinary citizens lent a helping hand donating their time, services or food.

A Sicilian rowing club heard about the Israeli social-environmental campaign and has started a similar project.

Ein Gedi baths

Early morning in the Ein Gedi baths, the crew studies the sky and checks the wind direction – two factors that can easily change the life of a canoeist. The sky is clear enough, but the wind is south-easterly, which means that it won’t be easy. The aim: rowing to the battery near Masada, a spot that earned the name “parpar (butterfly)-8” station and back to the starting point.

As we head out the deterioration of the area is quickly apparent. Sea level has declined by 60 meters in the last couple of years, salt plates and wonderful shaped salt crystals are visible through the shallow water. As beautiful as it is sad.

Kibbutz Ein Gedi provides a fresh mark of green, and from there we can see the flat-top of Masada, which marks the end of this journey.

Coffee with Salt

Of the 14 rowers a couple are disabled; Shahar who was born blind must be told where to row. That doesn't stop him as he works like a turbo engine, concentrating on the dull sounds that his kayak makes as it goes up and down the greasy waves.

We're headed upwind so we make for the beach for a short rest. We might need to cut the trip short. We cook some salty-tasting coffee and take pleasure in the silence. Not a living soul around us.

When we get back in t he water, the wind is at our backs, we kayak in deep in meditation about the beauty of this strange, magnificent wonder of nature which we must protect.