You can see from the above photo just how far the Dead Sea has retreated. The fresh water sources of the Jordan River, which feeds into the Dead Sea, have been diverted over the years for municipal use, and so the sea continues to retreat rapidly, dropping about one meter per year for the last fifty years. Because the slope on the Israeli side is so gradual, the sea retreats several meters horizontally for every meter it drops, exposing what used to be the sea bottom.
Looking across at Jordan. On the Jordanian side, the cliffs plunge directly into the sea, so the effect is not as obvious.
Canyons cut by water through the soft sedimentary mud of what used to be the bottom of the Dead Sea.
Hiking back down the cliffside.
A natural fresh water spring at Ein Fashla, home to a small nature reserve. Actually, there seem to be nature reserves everywhere in this area.
It was a great hike. And I'm going back tomorrow, this time with the good fellas of Machon Meir!