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Little Manitou Lake in Canada is known as Canada's Dead Sea. It has an exceptionally high salt content and is famous for its supposed healing properties. It is located in Saskatchewan in Canada and is unique among the province's 100,000 or so lakes. Little Manitou Lake is unique, unlike anything else in North America. Its properties are said to be similar to that of the Dead Sea in Jordan and Israel.

The Dead Sea in the Middle East was one of the world's first resorts, with a history as a resort going back thousands of years. If one goes to Europe, stop by Spa, Belgium, and see where English got the word "spa" and discover the rich thermal spring history of Europe.

Little Manitou Lake - Canada's Dead Sea

Little Manitou Lake is located around 120 km southeast of Saskatoon in Canada's Saskatchewan province. It was formed thousands of years ago by the receding glaciers of the last ice age. The reason why it is high in minerals is due to it being a terminal lake.

Little Manitou Lake is fed by underground springs and is noted for its high mineral content. It is high in sodium, magnesium, and potassium salt with a salinity of around 180 g/L - or around half that of the Dead Sea at 300-400 ppt. That is enough to be five times saltier than the ocean, according to the nearby's Watrous' website. With a salt content that high, it is easy for bathers to float.

  • Salinity: 180 g/L (5x Saltier Than The Ocean or Half Of the Dead Sea)
  • Float: One Can Float While Reading A Book
  • Fed: By Underground Springs

Due to the high salinity, there is no fish in the lake - little ease than brine shrimp can live there.

  • Fish: Only Brine Shrimp

Related: Discover The Top Places To Relax & De-Stress Around The World

Visiting Little Manitou Lake Today

A health resort on an (almost) dead lake is not what one might expect to find while traveling through Canada's vast prairies.

These days Manitou Lake has become a tourist attraction and a tourist resort due to its unique mineral waters. The lake has claimed health benefits, and it is fun for tourists to float in the water with a newspaper posing for Instagram pics.

  • Nickname: Dead Sea of Canada
  • Notable Minerals: Sodium, magnesium, and potassium salts

The mineral-rich content of the waters gives it a metallic bronze appearance. Some visitors have claimed to have been cured of skin conditions, arthritis, and joint pain.

  • Best Time To Visit: June to August

Today the resort by the lake is complete with a beach, spa, restaurants, bar, golf, and dance hall. One can visit on a day trip from Regina or Saskatoon, but if one would like to stay overnight, stay at Manitou Springs Resort. They have a range of accommodations and spa treatments to choose from as well as indoor pools with water from the lake. The swimming pools are free for guests staying at the hotel.

Related: Is The Dead Sea Disappearing? It's Already The Lowest Place On Earth

Minerals And Claimed Health Benefits Of Little Manitou Lake

These are the minerals Little Manitou Lake has and some of the claimed health benefits of the water, according to a local website. The natural oils, mineral salts, and mud from the lake are harvested, made into lotions and masks, and sold across Canada.

  • Carbonate: 180.0 milligrams/liter
  • Sulfate: 39,577.0 milligrams/liter
  • Potassium: 430.0 milligrams/liter
  • Sodium (Table Salt): 6,138.0 milligrams/liter
  • Chloride: 8,969.0 milligrams/liter
  • Calcium: 480.0 milligrams/liter
  • Oxide of Iron and Aluminum: 4.0 milligrams/liter
  • Magnesium: 9,505.0 milligrams/liter
  • Silica: 9.9 milligrams/liter

Magnesium is a natural skin toner, tightener, refresher, allergy fighter, and moisture retainer. Sulfate helps to maintain the body's balance. It works with potassium to preserve the alkalinity of the body’s fluid and aids in keeping the skin healthy, among other claimed benefits. Potassium also helps in keeping the skin healthy as well as having antibacterial properties.

Calcium is a natural anti-allergen and is used in treating and preventing sunburn. It is necessary for hemoglobin and myoglobin formation, while there are no known beneficial effects of aluminum.

The water is also rich in sulfur. Sulfur is sometimes called "nature's beauty mineral" due to keeping the hair smooth and one's face clear and youthful.

Additionally, the mineral salts stimulate the skin to produce oil and hydrate, helping with keeping mucous membranes moist and giving skin greater elasticity.