Touring the Noxious Sulphurous Remains of the Once Celebrated Resort Area at California’s Salton Sea

Filmmaker Kyle Frager of NeverStopExploring journeyed inland from his Southern California home to the Salton Sea, a human-made saline lake that sits in between the Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley on the San Andreas Fault. This whole area was once considered a successful golf resort in the 1950s, with luminaries such as Frank Sinatra making appearances to promote the lifestyle.

The resort ultimately failed as the lake became overwrought with salt, pollution, and prodigious algal blooms that emit a noxious sulfurous odor. All of this has proven extremely fatal to fish, although some tilapia remain. What remains at this point in time is a dry, desiccated land with a very low population and lots of very funky art.

My first travel documentary about a strange yet fascinating place in California’s Imperial Valley – The Salton Sea. I encourage you to read more about the lake’s history and the current ecological crisis it has become.