GT Imagery: Great Salt Lake

Monday, September 23, 2013

Great Salt Lake - 2013

The Great Salt Lake Sunset - 16 photo panorama

Every year I try to go swimming in the Great Salt Lake. I will invite everyone I know to come and enjoy a good float/swim. It is a unique experience. The lake is shallow considering its size. It gets to about 25 feet at its deepest point.

Locals generally do not go to the Great Salt Lake for recreation. The reasons for this vary. The Great Salt Lake has a high salt content which causes you to float though it also stings when you get it in your eye or any open wound, including shaving nicks. So pain is the first downside.

The second thing people over exaggerate is the smell. Some people will say that the lake stinks which is only partly true. The smell they speak of is from dead brine shrimp that gather along the shore. Dead things stink. It is not bad everywhere and you get away from the smell by going out in the water. When you get out in the water you mainly find that salty smell that is associated with the ocean and the beach.

The the rest of the reasons are not mentioned very often but they include... There are no good waves for surfing because it is an inland sea, you cannot take a motor boat out because of the shallowness of the lake (though you can take sail boats out), their friends don't go, they don't like flies (there tend to be many tiny gnat-like flies along the shore), It is not something they hear about as a diverting place to go.

Now let me tell you the reasons to go...

The Great Salt Lake Sunset- 15 photo panorama

1) Hardly anyone goes to the lake

The only people that go to the lake are people from out of state, foreigners, and people who want to go. You will also find photographers who want an awesome shot for landscapes or portraits.

2) The lake is a great place to learn how to swim

Everyone floats... unless they are wearing a steel/cement straitjacket. because you float you can concentrate on the swimming part and not be paranoid about sinking. The lake is shallow so you also want to go somewhere where it is deep enough to swim. I suggest the Great Salt Lake Marina because it has an area where the lake gets deep enough to swim with out trekking out a ways. There is also a place to change, restrooms, a pavilion to have a picnic, and a place to wash off the salt water and sand when you are done. Just keep the salt water out of your eyes and don't drink it.

3) No sharks

The only animal living in the lake is the brine shrimp. It is a tiny animal about a half inch long or less. Brine shrimp are harvested to serve as pet food. Other than that you don't have to think.... "Am I going to get attacked by a shark? Will I get stung by a jellyfish?" You might have to think.... "Will a seagull eat my sandwich that I left out on the beach?"

4) A unique experience

There are few places where you can be in water and do absolutely nothing to stay afloat. When you are upright your shoulders are still above the water. No kicking. No need to hold onto anything. The feeling is a little strange but it is enjoyable as well.