Before it was destroyed by the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach was meant to be a playground for rich vacationers in the 1940's and 50's. It was designed to be the California version of the French Riviera. But the rising salinity in the Salton Sea created major bird and fish die-offs and a series of floods from tropical storms in the 1970's. The area never recovered. The few remaining residents today live in trailers, where they hide out from the blazing sun. Thousands of artists, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers have used the Bombay beach ruins to display their artwork.