Dead Sea. People floating in the heavily salted water of the Dead Sea. The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 422 metres (1385 feet) below sea level, making it the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The extreme salt content (34 percent) of the water makes its density so high that it is very easy for objects to float. The salinity also means that animals and plants cannot flourish, giving it the name Dead Sea. Photographed in the Jordan Rift Valley, Israel.