The Dead Sea is the saltiest large body of water on Earth, with salinity around nine times that of typical ocean water.
It is a hypersaline lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. The Jordan River supplies much of its inflow, but the lake has no outlet. In the hot, dry climate, evaporation removes water while leaving dissolved minerals behind.
The Dead Sea's surface lies hundreds of metres below mean sea level, making it Earth's lowest land elevation. Its dense water makes floating easy, although swimmers should avoid getting the highly saline water in their eyes or swallowing it.
The lake has been shrinking as water is diverted from the Jordan River and evaporation continues. “Sea” is part of its traditional name; geographically, it is a lake. Its salinity is far higher than that of the Red Sea or Mediterranean Sea.