Drinking ocean water is unsafe due to its high salt content, which worsens dehydration. The excess salt forces your kidneys to expel more water, leading to severe health risks like kidney failure. Seawater must be desalinated through processes like reverse osmosis or distillation to be drinkable. (Sources: USGS, NOAA, MedlinePlus)
Can you drink ocean water? Direct answer & bottom line
It’s crucial to know that ocean water is not drinkable. Drinking seawater doesn’t hydrate you; instead, it can directly make dehydration worse, particularly in heat or survival situations.
The bottom line is: never drink ocean water unless it’s properly desalinated. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) explains that seawater’s high salt content makes it unfit for human consumption without desalination, and it stresses the importance of using proper methods like reverse osmosis and distillation to make it safe for drinking. If you're engaged in outdoor activities, particularly high-intensity ones under the sun, it’s essential to stay hydrated with fresh water.
The one-sentence verdict (and why it matters in emergencies)
Can you drink ocean water? No—drinking seawater makes dehydration worse and can trigger dangerous hypernatremia (too much sodium in the blood), especially in heat or survival situations where your body is already under stress.
This matters because people often reach for seawater when they feel desperate thirst. It looks like an endless supply. But the ocean is a trap: it can speed up the very thing you’re trying to avoid—severe dehydration—while also adding risks from germs and pollution.
“How much seawater is safe to drink?”
People want a number because it feels calming. The hard truth is there is no safe routine threshold for drinking ocean water. Even “small amounts” can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and that fluid loss makes things spiral faster.
In a true last-resort emergency, some survival guides talk about minimal sips—think under a mouthful—to wet the mouth while you work on a real plan. That is not a solution. It’s more like pressing pause for a moment while you find shade, collect rain, or build a still. If you keep drinking seawater to “stay hydrated,” you will usually get worse.
Quick numbers that explain the danger (salinity vs. body limits)
Ocean water is salty on a level our bodies simply did not evolve to process as a drink.
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Typical ocean salinity: ~3.5%
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That equals about 35 grams of salt per liter (≈35,000 ppm)
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Human blood/plasma is much lower (roughly 0.9% salt)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains how the osmotic imbalance caused by seawater’s salt content can lead to dangerous health effects.
A useful mental picture is to imagine your blood as “mildly salty,” like a medical saline solution. Seawater is several times saltier than that. So when you drink salt water from the ocean, you are pushing your blood sodium upward fast.
Visual: 10-second risk snapshot panel (for featured snippet)
Risk snapshot (varies by person, heat, and dehydration level):
| Amount of seawater | What often happens next | Why it’s risky |
| ~250 ml (about 1 cup) | Strong thirst, nausea, stomach upset | Salt pulls water out of cells; vomiting can start |
| ~500 ml (2 cups) | Higher chance of vomiting/diarrhea, headache, weakness | Net fluid loss begins; sodium rises |
| ~1 liter (about 4 cups) | Confusion, severe dehydration, worsening kidney strain | Kidneys must dump extra salt using extra water |
This is not a “challenge chart.” It’s a warning: more seawater usually means less usable water inside your body.
What’s in seawater: salinity, sodium load, and contaminants
Seawater isn’t just salty—it's also filled with harmful chemicals and pollutants. When you drink seawater, the salt can wreak havoc on your body’s balance, and contaminants can add another layer of risk. Seawater contains sodium chloride, the same salt as table salt, but in much higher concentrations, along with other minerals like magnesium and calcium.
According to MedlinePlus, the high sodium load from seawater makes it dangerous for consumption. The osmotic imbalance that occurs when you drink seawater is dangerous because it forces your kidneys to work overtime, leading to dehydration.
In a survival situation, simply relying on salt water isn’t a good idea, as it will only make the problem worse.
Salinity chemistry 101 (NaCl dominance, osmotic load)
Seawater is mostly water plus dissolved salts. The main one is sodium chloride—the same chemical pair as table salt, just in a much larger amount. Seawater also contains magnesium, sulfate, calcium, and potassium. The key problem is the osmotic imbalance. That’s a simple idea: water moves from areas with less salt to areas with more salt.
So when you drink seawater, your gut absorbs that salty fluid. Your blood sodium rises. To protect the brain and heart, your body tries to pull water from tissues and push extra sodium out through urine. But your kidneys cannot “create” fresh water. They can only move water around. To expel that much salt, they often require more water than you just drank. That is why why is drinking sea water bad has a simple answer: it turns your body into a water-losing machine.
Ocean vs. freshwater vs. sports drinks (comparison table)
Here’s a direct comparison that helps explain why seawater is different from other drinks you might know.
| Liquid | Typical salinity / dissolved salts | Typical contaminants | Drinkability rating |
| Ocean water | ~35,000 ppm | Pathogens, algal toxins, microplastics, chemicals near shore | Not drinkable without desalination |
| Fresh river/lake water | Often <500 ppm (varies a lot) | Pathogens, runoff, parasites | Sometimes treatable with filtration/disinfection |
| “Sports drink”-type fluid | Low compared to seawater | Usually low if manufactured safely | Drinkable (not a replacement for clean water) |
Freshwater can be unsafe too, but it is unsafe mainly because of germs. Seawater is unsafe because of germs and because the salt load itself harms the body.
Pollution adds a second layer of risk (beyond salt)
Even if the ocean looks clear and “clean,” that does not mean it is safe to drink. Near coasts, seawater can carry sewage overflow, storm runoff, and waste from boats. Farther out, ocean currents can still move pollution long distances.
This adds hazards that desalination may not fully fix unless done correctly. For example, some toxins can travel with droplets and surfaces, and poor storage can re-contaminate your container even after you collect clean distilled water. For those planning a trip near the coast, it’s a great idea to explore alternative methods like reverse osmosis.
Visual: Diagram of “osmotic pull” (why seawater worsens dehydration)
Visual idea: show body cells on one side and salty blood on the other. After seawater intake, arrows show water moving out of cells to balance the saltier fluid, while the kidneys push out urine to dump sodium. The end result is “more thirst, less hydration.”
Health effects: hypernatremia, dehydration, organ failure
When you drink seawater, the extra salt overwhelms your kidneys, and they struggle to expel it. This leads to dehydration, high sodium levels (hypernatremia), and in severe cases, organ failure.
Here’s how drinking seawater can wreak havoc on your organs.
Mechanism: why kidneys can’t “keep up” with seawater
People often ask, “If my body can pee out salt, why can’t it handle seawater?” Your kidneys can remove extra sodium, but they must use water to do it.
When blood sodium climbs, your body tries to fix the balance. Your kidneys respond by making more urine that carries sodium away. But here’s the catch: human kidneys can’t make urine saltier than seawater. So to expel the salt from seawater, you usually need to lose a lot of fresh water along with it. That’s the “net fluid loss” problem. You turn one cup of seawater into more than one cup of water loss.
If you are also sweating from heat, your risk is even higher. Sweat is mostly water. So you’re losing fresh water from two directions at once: sweat plus salt-driven urine.
Symptom timeline (early → late)
In real life, symptoms depend on the person, the temperature, activity level, and whether you already have dehydration. Still, the pattern is very consistent.
At first, your body screams for water. You may feel intense thirst, a dry mouth, nausea, and a churning stomach. Some people get cramps or a headache. Next comes weakness and fatigue, because the body’s fluid balance helps power muscles and nerves.
If seawater intake continues, the brain begins to suffer. Confusion is a red flag. People may act “drunk,” make poor choices, or struggle to speak clearly. Severe hypernatremia can lead to seizures, coma, and organ failure. When kidneys can’t keep up, the damage can become acute and life-threatening.
Chart idea: a simple time-course graphic that moves from “thirst and nausea” to “confusion” to “seizure/coma,” with a note that time can be hours to days depending on conditions.
“What happens if you drink ocean water by mistake?”
Most people accidentally swallowed a mouthful while swimming. If that’s you, take a breath—one accidental mouthful is usually not the same as deliberate consumption.
A small accidental swallow often causes coughing, a burning throat, mild stomach upset, or diarrhea later. What matters is how much you swallowed, and whether you have symptoms that don’t settle. You should consider medical help if you have repeated vomiting, severe diarrhea, strong weakness, confusion, fainting, a severe headache, or you can’t keep any fluids down—especially in children and older adults.
If you’re outdoors and have been exposed to the sun for long periods, your body will be at higher risk of dehydration.
High-risk groups (who deteriorates faster)
Some bodies have less “buffer” for salt and fluid changes. Children are smaller, so the same amount of seawater is a bigger dose. Older adults may have weaker thirst signals and less kidney reserve. People with kidney disease, heart disease, or those taking certain medicines can get into trouble faster. And anyone already dehydrated from a long hike, alcohol, vomiting, diarrhea, or sun exposure can crash quickly after drinking ocean water.
Why boiling seawater doesn’t make it safe
Many people think that boiling seawater can make it drinkable, but that’s not the case. Boiling only eliminates microbes, not salt.
Let’s explain why boiling seawater doesn’t help and why it can actually make things worse.
“Can you boil ocean water to make it drinkable?”
Can you boil ocean water and then drink it? Not in the normal sense of boiling.
Boiling kills many germs, so it can make some freshwater safer from microbes. But seawater is mainly dangerous because of salt. When you boil seawater, the water turns into steam and leaves the pot. The salt stays behind. So the liquid left in the pot becomes even saltier. That means boiling ocean water can make it more dangerous if you drink what’s left.
So if you’re wondering does boiling salt water make it drinkable: no. Boiling alone does not remove salt.
Boiling vs. distillation (key difference)
There is one important twist: boiling can be part of a safe method if you also condense the steam and collect it. That process is called distillation.
Think of it this way. Boiling is just making steam. Distillation is boiling plus capturing that steam and turning it back into liquid water in a clean container. The salt does not evaporate with the steam, so the condensed water can be drinkable if collected cleanly.
Diagram idea: one picture shows a pot of boiling seawater with salty residue left behind. Another shows a lid angled so steam drips into a cup, or a tube/coil that carries steam to a cooler surface.
Field myth-busting checklist (what doesn’t work)
It’s easy to fall for “simple” tricks when you’re thirsty. A few methods sound good but don’t fix the problem.
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Boiling seawater and drinking it (salt remains; brine gets worse)
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Coffee filters or cloth filtering (removes particles, not dissolved salt)
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Letting salt “settle” to the bottom (dissolved salt won’t settle out)
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Basic camping filters made for freshwater microbes (many do not remove salt)
If the method does not remove dissolved salts through desalination, it will not reliably make ocean water drinkable.
Reference links to authoritative explainers
If you want to double-check the science, look for trusted sources that explain distillation, desalination, and hypernatremia. A few solid starting points are listed at the end of this article.
Pollution & pathogens: when “clean-looking” ocean water isn’t safe
Just because ocean water looks clean doesn’t mean it’s safe to drink. Pollution, harmful algae, and pathogens can contaminate even the clearest water.
In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how pollution affects the safety of seawater.
Key pollution statistics that amplify risk (data bullets)
Salt is the first problem. Pollution is the second.
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About 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year (global estimate).
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Many countries issue beach warnings because bacteria levels rise after rain, sewage overflow, or heat-driven blooms.
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Harmful algal blooms are reported in many coastal regions and can produce toxins that affect the gut and nervous system.
These numbers matter for a simple reason: even if you solve the salt problem, raw seawater can still carry things you do not want inside your body.
Toxins and microbes of concern (what ingestion can introduce)
When people ask “Is the ocean dirty?” the honest answer is: it depends on where you are, what the weather has been, and what flows into that water.
Near shore, common concerns include bacteria that cause stomach illness, viruses that spread in sewage-contaminated water, and parasites that can infect the gut. In some seasons and places, harmful algae can produce toxins linked to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and nerve symptoms. In industrial or high-traffic areas, heavy metals and long-lasting chemicals can also be present at low levels that you cannot see or taste.
This is why “I’ll just drink from the ocean far from the city” is still risky. Water moves. And your eyes cannot test microbiology.
“Is ocean water safe to drink if it looks clean?”
No. Clear water is not the same as clean water.
A glass of seawater can look perfect and still contain viruses, bacteria, or algal toxins. Some of the highest-risk conditions happen after storms, when runoff and sewage can mix into coastal areas even if the surface looks normal.
If you’re at the beach and you swallow seawater, don’t panic. But don’t assume it’s harmless either. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or worsening stomach pain over the next day or two. For children, older adults, and anyone with health issues, it’s worth being extra careful.
Visual/interactive: “Beach advisory ≠ potable” explainer
Flowchart idea: “Is the water open for swimming?” → even if “yes,” that only means the risk for casual contact is lower. It does not mean you can drink it. Then show: “Need drinking water?” → choose rain catchment / bottled supplies / desalination rather than ocean water.
You can also check local recreational water alerts. These tools are built for swimming safety, not for drinking, but they can still warn you about obvious contamination spikes.
Real-world evidence: survival cases, modern challenges, ER outcomes
Survival stories from shipwrecks and modern emergencies show that drinking seawater is rarely the right decision.
This section will explore real-life cases and how drinking seawater impacted those involved.
Shipwreck/castaway patterns (what survivors did instead)
A repeated lesson from survival history is simple: survivors who lasted usually did not rely on seawater. Many accounts describe people using shade, limiting activity, and collecting rain as their main water plan.
One often retold example is a sailor stranded for months who survived by catching rainwater and using moisture from food sources like fish. The takeaway isn’t that “fish juice is magic.” It’s that he avoided the spiral that drinking seawater triggers: vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid dehydration.
If you’ve ever been very thirsty and thought, “Could I just take a few gulps?” you’re thinking like a normal human. Survival stories show why that choice often backfires.
Reported modern challenge outcomes (symptom consistency)
In modern times, emergency rooms still see a consistent pattern when people drink seawater on purpose. The details change, but the body’s reaction is steady: stomach upset comes first, then dehydration symptoms, then confusion or weakness if the person can’t replace fluids.
The reason is not mysterious. Seawater is a strong salt solution. Your gut and kidneys respond in ways that protect your blood chemistry, and those protective moves cost you water. That is why even “just one bottle” can become a medical problem, especially during outdoor activities in the sun.
Mortality contrast lesson from historical accounts
Historical shipwreck reports often describe two groups: those who tried to “solve thirst” with seawater, and those who rationed freshwater or waited for rain. The second group tended to last longer. This is not because they were tougher. It’s because they avoided the salt-driven dehydration loop.
If you want a simple survival rule to learn and remember, it’s this: when you’re already dehydrated, seawater is like adding fuel to the fire.
Visual: timeline graphic—“Decision points that increase survival odds”
Graphic idea: A timeline that shows decision points like “find shade,” “stop sweating,” “collect rain,” “build a still,” and the dangerous detour: “drink seawater → vomiting → faster dehydration.”
How to make seawater drinkable: desalination methods ranked
You can make seawater drinkable, but it requires proper desalination. Here, we’ll outline the two most effective methods for turning seawater into fresh water. Let’s take a look at how reverse osmosis and distillation work. If you find yourself in a high-stress survival situation, sunlight and simple materials can be used to create a solar still, which is a form of distillation using the sun’s heat to evaporate seawater and collect the vapor in a clean container.
Best methods overview (what actually removes salt)
If the question is can you make salt water drinkable, the answer is yes—but only with real desalination.
Two methods have been proven:
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Reverse osmosis (forcing water through a special membrane that blocks salts)
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Distillation (evaporate water, then condense the vapor and collect it)
A solar still is a kind of distillation that uses sunlight instead of a stove. It is slow, but it can work in survival situations.
Comparison table: effectiveness, speed, gear, output, failure modes
| Method | Removes salt? | Speed | Gear needs | Common failure modes |
| Reverse osmosis | Yes | Fast (depends on device and effort) | RO membrane system, clean containers | Membrane damage, clogged prefilter, poor maintenance |
| Distillation (heat + condenser) | Yes | Medium | Pot/heat source + condenser/clean catch container | Dirty collection container, chemical carryover from bad materials |
| Solar still | Yes | Slow | Plastic sheet, cup, container, sunlight | Low output, poor seal, wrong placement |
| Boiling only | No | N/A | Pot + heat | Leaves concentrated brine; still unsafe |
If you’re planning a coastal trip, the “best” method is the one you can actually carry and use correctly. In an emergency with no gear, solar distillation may be the only option that truly purify salt water into drinkable water.
Step-by-step: DIY solar still (survival-grade)
A solar still is not a miracle machine. It’s a slow drip system that can keep you alive while you wait for rescue, especially if you also reduce sweat and collect any rain. Still, it’s one of the few “simple” methods that can make seawater drinkable because it removes salt through evaporation and condensation.
Materials you need:
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A clear plastic sheet (the larger, the better)
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A cup or bottle cap to catch water
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A larger container or a dug hole
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A small rock (to create a low point for dripping)
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Optional: tubing to sip without opening the still
Steps:
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Place the cup in the center of a hole or container. If using a hole, choose a sunny spot and dig it wide enough to hold the cup and allow space around it.
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Add seawater to the outer area (not in the cup). Keep the cup clean because this is where the drinkable water will collect.
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Stretch the plastic sheet over the hole or container. Seal the edges with sand, rocks, or soil so humid air can’t escape.
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Put a small rock in the center above the cup so the plastic dips down. This creates a “drip point.”
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Wait. Sun warms the seawater, water vapor rises, and it condenses on the underside of the plastic. Drops run down to the lowest point and drip into the cup.
Realistic yield: Often only a few cups per day, depending on sun, temperature, and the size of your setup. That may not feel like much, but in survival situations it can be the difference between holding on and collapsing.
Common mistakes: touching the inside of the plastic (contamination), placing it in shade, leaving gaps so vapor escapes, or spilling salty water into the cup.
Safety checks after desalination (taste isn’t enough)
People often rely on taste: “If it doesn’t taste salty, it must be fine.” Taste helps, but it is not a lab test.
After you desalinate, keep the clean water away from dirty hands, salty splashes, and unwashed containers. If you are distilling over heat using improvised materials, avoid plastics or unknown metals that could release chemicals when heated. And remember the basic planning rule: you need regular intake of clean water to recover. One small cup may reduce symptoms but not fix dehydration.
Emergency alternatives & prevention (what to do instead of seawater)
In an emergency, there are better options than drinking seawater. If you are stuck near the ocean, it helps to have a simple mental ranking. Ask yourself: “What can I get that is closer to fresh water than seawater?”
In many coastal areas, rain is your best friend. Even short rain can fill a bottle fast if you use a tarp, shirt, or any clean surface to funnel it. Dew can also be collected early in the morning with cloth, though it’s slow. In some places, you can find freshwater seeps where groundwater meets the beach, especially above the high-tide line.
If you have gear, desalination is the safest path. If you don’t, your top goal is to reduce water loss: get out of the sun, slow down, cover skin, and rest. Less sweating means less urgent thirst, which helps you avoid the dangerous choice of drinking ocean water.
Emergency water hierarchy (safer options first)
If you are stuck near the ocean and need water, it helps to have a simple mental ranking. Ask yourself: “What can I get that is closer to fresh water than seawater?”
In many coastal areas, rain is your best friend. Even short rain can fill a bottle fast if you use a tarp, shirt, or any clean surface to funnel it. Dew can also be collected early in the morning with cloth, though it’s slow. In some places, you can find freshwater seeps where groundwater meets the beach, especially above the high-tide line. The water may still need treatment for germs, but it won’t carry the same massive salt load.
If you have gear, desalination is the safest path. If you don’t, your top goal is to reduce water loss: get out of the sun, slow down, cover skin, and rest. Less sweating means less urgent thirst, which helps you avoid the dangerous choice of drinking ocean water.
“Can you drink urine instead of seawater?”
People ask this in panic, and it’s understandable. Urine is not a good drink. It can worsen dehydration because it still contains salts and waste your body is trying to get rid of. Still, urine is usually less salty than seawater, so it does not hit you with the same huge sodium load.
If you’re choosing between the two, the better move is to not drink either and focus on collecting rain, finding freshwater sources, or building a solar still. If you are at the point where you feel forced to pick, that is a sign you need rescue as soon as possible.
Prevention kit for coastal travel/boating (practical checklist)
Most seawater emergencies are preventable. A few small choices before a trip can keep a bad day from turning into a survival situation.
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Carry more drinking water than you think you’ll need, plus an extra day’s supply
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Bring multiple clean containers (one can break or leak)
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Pack a method to treat freshwater for germs (for streams or collected rain)
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If you’ll be offshore or remote, include a desalination-capable tool or plan
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Add sun protection and a basic signaling plan (whistle, mirror, light) so rescue happens faster
If you’ve ever ended a beach day with a headache and dark urine, you already know how fast the sun can drain you. Prevention is easier than treatment.
Decision tool: “Water Source Triage” (inputs → safest choice)
When you’re stressed, simple questions help you choose well. Ask:
Are you in high heat? Are you sweating? How long until rescue? Do you have any gear to purify water? Are you already vomiting or confused? If the answer to those is “yes,” then seawater is an even worse idea than usual because your body has less room for error.
A calm plan often looks like this: shade first, then collect rain or dew, then find low-salt sources inland, then treat for germs, and only then consider distillation or reverse osmosis if you must use seawater.
Key takeaways & source links
Let’s recap the key points from this guide and give you quick access to authoritative sources for further reading.
Always remember that salt water isn’t safe to drink, and trying to rely on it for hydration will only worsen dehydration. The best methods to make seawater drinkable are desalination, either through reverse osmosis or distillation.
However, it's far better to limit your exposure to seawater by relying on simple methods like rainwater collection or outdoor activities that focus on reducing dehydration risk.
7-point summary (reverse-pyramid wrap-up back to the core message)
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Drinking ocean water is not safe because the salt load can drive hypernatremia and worsen dehydration.
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Seawater is about 3.5% salinity (~35 g salt/L), far saltier than the body’s normal fluid balance.
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Your kidneys must use extra water to expel extra salt, so seawater can cause net water loss.
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Symptoms can start with thirst and nausea and progress to confusion, seizures, coma, and organ failure.
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Boiling ocean water does not remove salt and can concentrate it; does boiling salt water make it drinkable is a clear “no.”
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The only reliable ways to make salt water drinkable are desalination methods like distillation (with condensation) or reverse osmosis.
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In emergencies, choose rain, dew, freshwater sources, shade, and signaling over seawater. If you swallowed seawater at the beach, watch for ongoing symptoms.
“How long can you survive drinking seawater?”
There isn’t one exact timeline because survival depends on temperature, effort, health, and how much freshwater you still have. What is consistent is the direction: seawater intake tends to speed up dehydration and raise sodium, which increases the chance of confusion and organ injury. So the safest strategy is to avoid seawater and focus on collecting or making true drinkable water.
Suggested authoritative references to link/cite
A few trustworthy places to read more include global health guidance on safe water, basic ocean science education, and public tools for coastal water conditions.
Visual: one-screen printable card—“Do/Don’t in seawater emergencies”
Printable card idea: DO: get shade, rest, cover skin, collect rain, build a solar still, signal for help, sip clean water slowly if vomiting. DON’T: drink salt water, drink boiled seawater from the pot, rely on cloth filters for salt, wait until you’re confused to ask for help.
Quick FAQs
1. Is ocean water safe to drink?
No, ocean water is not safe to drink. Even though it might look clear and clean, it contains high levels of salt and minerals, which can be harmful to your body. Drinking seawater leads to a dangerous imbalance of sodium in your system, causing dehydration. In fact, the salt in ocean water can actually make you thirstier, not less. Your kidneys need to work extra hard to get rid of all that salt, and eventually, it can lead to more severe health issues. So, while it might seem like a quick solution if you're thirsty, it can be life-threatening in the long run.
2. Can I make ocean water drinkable?
Yes, it's possible, but it requires proper desalination. Desalination is the process of removing the salt and other minerals from the water, and this can be done using methods like distillation or reverse osmosis. In distillation, you boil the seawater, capturing the steam, and then condense it back into fresh water. Reverse osmosis involves pushing seawater through a special filter that only allows fresh water to pass through, leaving the salt behind. However, these processes need to be done properly with the right equipment, as simply trying to filter the water at home won't do the job.
3. Can you drink salt water from the ocean if you boil it?
No, boiling seawater doesn't make it drinkable. While boiling can kill some harmful bacteria and germs, it doesn't remove the salt. In fact, it can make the water saltier because the water evaporates as steam, but the salt stays behind in the pot. Even though you might think the boiling process is purifying the water, it only concentrates the salt, making it even harder for your body to handle. To make it drinkable, you'd have to capture the steam and condense it into fresh water, a process that requires specialized equipment.
4. What happens if you swallow salt water at the beach?
Swallowing a small amount of saltwater by accident usually leads to coughing or a mild upset stomach. However, if you drink more than just a sip, you could experience more serious symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. In some cases, you might also feel dizzy or weak. If any of these symptoms get worse, or if you start to feel feverish, confused, or severely dehydrated, it's important to get medical help right away. The salt in the water can mess with your body's electrolytes, which is why it's crucial to stay hydrated with fresh water when you're at the beach.
5. What will happen if I boil salt water?
If you boil saltwater, the heat will turn the water into steam, leaving the salt behind in the pot. This process makes the remaining liquid even more concentrated with salt, so it won't be drinkable. The only way to get drinkable water from boiling saltwater is to capture the steam and condense it into a fresh container, which is the basic principle behind distillation. However, without the right equipment, boiling alone won’t turn seawater into safe drinking water.
References