Environmental activists take part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. Athletes and eco-activists swam across the Dead Sea on Tuesday, the first people to thrash their way over a body of water so salty that it poisons anyone who drinks it. The swimmers crossed from Jordan to Israel to raise awareness of what they said was an environmental disaster that has shrunk the inland lake's surface by a third in 30 years. The wore snorkels and face masks to stop the water – around 10 times saltier than the regular sea – from touching their eyes or entering their lungs during the seven-hour crawl. A medical team accompanied the 28 swimmers, because ingestion of Dead Sea water can be fatal if not treated immediately, organizers said. The sea which is mentioned in the Bible sits at the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea, about 425 meters (1,400 feet) below sea level, is bordered by Israel, Jordan and the occupied West Bank. Many visitors came for the therapeutic properties associated with its mineral-rich waters, and resort hotels have been built along the Israeli and Jordanian shores. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





A Swimmer rests for a moment as he swims in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, from Jordan to Israel, arriving at Ein Gedi, Israel, Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Swimmers from around the world plunged into the salty waters of the Dead Sea on Tuesday to attempt a seven-hour swim across the fabled lake in a bid to draw attention to its environmental degradation. Wearing protective masks and snorkels, 25 swimmers paddled through the muddy water to attempt the 9-mile (15-kilometer) swim from Jordan to Israel. (Photo by Ariel Schalit/AP Photo)





Mineral deposits can be seen at the shore of the dead sea near Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





A man sits in a hot spring at the shore of the dead sea near Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





Environmental activists wash themselves after they finish “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





A research boat is seen on the dead sea while environmental activists take part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





Environmental activists cheer each other as they finish “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





Environmental activists take part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





Environmental activists react after they finish “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





An environmental activist adjusts his mask while taking part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





An environmental activist washes her face while taking part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





An environmental activist takes part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





A research boat can be seen on the dead sea while environmental activists take part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)





Environmental activists take part in “The Dead Sea Swim Challenge”, swimming from the Jordanian to Israeli shore, to draw attention to the ecological threats facing the Dead Sea, in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel November 15, 2016. (Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters)