Once a bustling tourist attraction, the Dead Sea is rapidly disappearing - and its beaches are almost unrecognizable
Metzoke Dragot beach is located in the northern part of the Dead Sea, which borders Israel, the occupied West Bank, and Jordan.
A man named Avraham sits at his makeshift camp — many of these homes or "zulas," which is Hebrew slang for a hangout, dot the Metzoke Dragot beach.
These "zulas" are mostly built with branches, tarp, and old sheets that provide cover from the sun.
High season here is in the winter, when the heat is more bearable.
Those who stay seek refuge from modern day life, and hope to avoid the rat race, reports Reuters.
Some tourists do still come through Metzoke Dragot — such as Zina, pictured here, a tourist from Belarus.
Reuters, spoke to one man who has lived on Metzoke Dragot beach for 10 years.
Those who decide to stay live without electricity.
Bathers and swimmers often cover themselves in the mineral-rich mud.
At night, people come together lighting bonfires.
Jade, pictured here, is a former fire-fighter from New York. She's been living in Metzoke Dragot for over a year. She told Reuters she came here for healing purposes, and had planned to go back to her home in Jerusalem after a while. In her camp she keeps crystals, potted herbs, books, and food that she brings once a week on the bus from Jerusalem.
"I've found the deepest most amazing healing and peace, the most amazing energy," Jade told Reuters. "This is my life, I'm not leaving."
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