The Salton Sea is a man-made lake in Southern California. It was once a popular tourist destination and at one point recieved more visiotrs than Yellowstone National Park.
Visit it now, and it's quite a different story.
My trek began on the western side of the lake. Out my window, a gorgeous, vast, never-ending bright blue lake stretched out just beyond residential areas. First stop: Salton Sea.
As soon as I exited the car, I was hit with the stench. The heat of the desert makes it worse. It's unclear where the odor comes from: this place is so beautiful - how can it smell so bad? And how can these people who inhabit Salton City stand it? It soon becomes clear: the salinity of the water is so high that fish are dying. They wash ashore to rot and fill the air with the most putrid smell I've ever encountered.
But, my mission is to find the uninhabited area along the Salton Sea known as Bombay Beach. It would be several hours and several stops before I'd find it.
The temperature is lower than normal, barely reaching 100. But that odor continues and isn't something someone can just get used to.
Not much is left of Bombay Beach. The bones of old houses and trailers remain, most of which have been decorated with graffiti. After spending the whole day searching for this elusive area, through heat and stink, it seems worth it.
As miserable as it was, there was something eerily beautiful about it as I looked over the lake and watched birds swim and take flight.
But that smell...I'll never forget it.
Visit it now, and it's quite a different story.
My trek began on the western side of the lake. Out my window, a gorgeous, vast, never-ending bright blue lake stretched out just beyond residential areas. First stop: Salton Sea.
As soon as I exited the car, I was hit with the stench. The heat of the desert makes it worse. It's unclear where the odor comes from: this place is so beautiful - how can it smell so bad? And how can these people who inhabit Salton City stand it? It soon becomes clear: the salinity of the water is so high that fish are dying. They wash ashore to rot and fill the air with the most putrid smell I've ever encountered.
But, my mission is to find the uninhabited area along the Salton Sea known as Bombay Beach. It would be several hours and several stops before I'd find it.
The temperature is lower than normal, barely reaching 100. But that odor continues and isn't something someone can just get used to.
Not much is left of Bombay Beach. The bones of old houses and trailers remain, most of which have been decorated with graffiti. After spending the whole day searching for this elusive area, through heat and stink, it seems worth it.
As miserable as it was, there was something eerily beautiful about it as I looked over the lake and watched birds swim and take flight.
But that smell...I'll never forget it.
