Salton Sea

Few locations so perfectly meld eerie and picturesque as the Salton Sea.

At the edge of the Sultan Sea, many dramatic formations create a dynamic sea side.

The cracked beaches bring visions of the post apocalypse to the forefront.

Once a thriving beach escape, the Salton Sea was a historic lake bed that, through a fluke of engineering enjoyed a second life in the 50s. The lake has fluctuated between desert and lake for thousands of years depending on water flow replenishing the basin. In the interest of farming and development, some of these core rivers have been diverted. In the late 1800s, the lake bed was barren. Yet, in 1905, failed canal engineering on the Colorado River basin sent a torrent of water to the ancient river bed for around 2 years, creating the largest lake in California. Since then, the sea became a popular destination for southern California residents to escape for winter outdoor recreation.

Between the vast water expanse and the steep mountains beyond, even the Salton Sea can evoke it’s own majesty.

While the lake is still fed by the New, Whitewater, and Alamo Rivers, these along with a relatively light annual rainfall, fail to offset the annual evaporation from the desert area. The remaining salt, in ever increasing concentrations (~1% a year), augmented by farm runoff, has made the sea a barely livable environment for fish. Tilapia, which was introduced to the sea for recreational fishing, are now commonly found underfoot by beach walkers. Yet, marshy areas still preserve the sea as a destination for birds and their impassioned watchers.

Bleached fish bones are a common site along the Sultan Sea beaches.

Closer to the water, dried fish lay after being picked over by birds.

For those more interested in projecting views than taking them in, the sea shore has many stunning and strangely picturesque spots: hemmed in by magnificent mountains, there are beaches strewn with desiccated fish, abandoned beach side residences, and wide desert expanses.