Which sea has Earth's lowest land elevation on its shore?

The Dead Sea has Earth’s lowest land elevation on its shore, lying hundreds of metres below mean sea level.

The Dead Sea is a landlocked, hypersaline lake in the Jordan Rift Valley, bordered by Jordan, Israel and the West Bank. Its surface and shoreline have continued to fall as water flowing into the basin has been diverted for agriculture, cities and industry. In 2025, the lake’s surface was reported at roughly 439.78 metres below sea level.

The lake’s extreme saltiness results from evaporation in an arid climate and the absence of an outlet river. Its salinity is roughly nine times that of ordinary seawater, making the water unusually dense and allowing swimmers to float easily. The same conditions support very little visible aquatic life, which explains the name “Dead Sea.”

The Caspian Sea also lies below sea level, but its shore is much higher—about 28 metres below sea level. The Salton Sea and Aral Sea are likewise low-lying, yet neither reaches the Dead Sea’s elevation. “Lowest land elevation on its shore” refers to the shoreline, not the deepest point beneath the water.