30 Swimmers Brave Dead Sea's Extreme Salinity in 5km Challenge
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Around 30 experienced swimmers completed a 5-kilometer extreme swim in the Dead Sea on Friday to raise awareness about its environmental crisis. The event, organized by Dead Sea Guardians, highlighted the lake's dropping water level, which has fallen 11 meters in the last decade. Founder Oded Rahav emphasized the need for national action to preserve the natural wonder. The swim aimed to urge collective efforts from governments and the public for the Dead Sea's future.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 30 swimmers completed a 5km extreme swim in the Dead Sea on Friday.
- The event aimed to raise awareness about the Dead Sea's environmental crisis.
- The lake's water level has dropped 11 meters in the past decade.
- Dead Sea Guardians founder Oded Rahav called for greater national priority.
- Swimmers used special masks to cope with the extreme salinity.
Approximately 30 experienced open-water swimmers participated in a 5-kilometer extreme swim across the Dead Sea last Friday. The event, initiated by the "Dead Sea Guardians" organization in cooperation with the Megilot Dead Sea Regional Council, aimed to raise awareness about the environmental crisis facing the lake. Swimmers navigated a course along the shore of Masada Beach, equipped with special masks designed for the extreme salinity of the world's lowest point.
The swim commemorated a similar event held ten years prior, which saw swimmers from Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and other nations cross the Dead Sea. Since that 2016 event, the lake's water level has dropped an additional 11 meters, highlighting the severity of its environmental decline.
Oded Rahav, a world-record swimmer and founder of Dead Sea Guardians, spearheaded the initiative. His organization, a public benefit company, advocates for the lake's preservation and seeks long-term solutions to its crisis. Rahav believes the Dead Sea is not a national priority, calling it a global natural wonder that has become Israel's "backyard."
"If we managed to do what everyone said was impossible and swim across the Dead Sea, we can and must take care of it and act for its sake," Rahav stated. The swimmers, accompanied by professional safety teams, sought to remind the public and decision-makers that the fight for the Dead Sea's future is ongoing, requiring joint action from governments, organizations, researchers, and the public to preserve this unique natural site.
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