The Salton Sea

Dropping out of the high desert we went through Palm Springs and down through Indio and Coachella. Taking Highway 111 down the east side of the sea you start to encounter orchards along the road. Many kinds of fruit are grown, but mainly dates and various citrus. Before long we found some eating grapes and actually made two raids on the vines... red seedless. Our first stop was at North Shore, a town gone to seed after the yacht club closed down. This place was designed by a fairly well known architect of the sixties and was a jet setter resort with visitors like Frank Sinatra and Mickey Mantle.

We encountered a french fellow who inquired about swimming in the sea to test the bouyancy of this salty water.... well I wouldn't recommend it at this point in time. The shores are lined with dead fish and birds creating a rather toxic stew of botulism and other bacteria. Currently the sea is 30% saltier than the ocean and will be a dead sea in 15-20 years if nothing is done.

MOVIE CLIPS:

Andrew's reaction to the sea

Red Water

INFO ABOUT THE SEA:

Kim Stringfellow

Wikipedia

Photographs by Jeff Alu, scroll down to find photos