Ever since childhood I’ve had a fascination for all things dangerous, creepy and bizarre. While other little girls were obsessed with all things horse-related, I was perusing books about sharks, spiders, snakes…pretty much anything that could potentially kill me.
Sharks were kind of my main obsession as a kid but as I got older I became more interested in jellyfish. This is why I was tickled pink when I found out about a place where you can actually swim with them.
Jelly Fish lake is located, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, on an island named Eil Malk in Palau. If you ever wanted to feel what a jellyfish feels like without, y’know dying, then this is the place to do just that. Hopefully I’ll one day be able to add a post of exactly what it is like to swim with these ethereal creatures but for now I’ll just have to regurgitate some of the info I’ve read so far.
Basically, millions of years ago, there was a geological upheaval that gave the area a facelift, trapping the ocean (and some stray jellyfish, among other things) and creating miniature lakes.
Since the jellyfish trapped in these lakes no longer have anything snapping their teeth at them, their sting became significantly less severe. So now we can poke and prod them to our hearts content. Although, I’m sure the officials there would prefer you keep any prodding to a minimum.
The jellies are dependent on the process of photosynthesis since they have symbiotic algae that live in their tissue and produces their energy. So, I guess they’re plants now?
This causes a daily mass migration across the lake as they follow the path of the sun.
The water is divided into three layers. The first is the sea-water layer where you will find mostly Golden Jellyfish as well as some elegant Moon Jellies. The second layer is milky-red created by billions of nitrogen-rich bacteria and the third layer is where the jellies retreat to at night to feed before they go back to the surface to await day break. Also, the third layer is highly toxic. Don’t go there.
In order to get to the lake you will have to hire an experienced guide to point out the route to the lake. The hike is not overly strenuous but it is very steep, hot and humid and the trail is dotted with man-eating trees that have some sort of stinging sap. It is also suggested to wear hard-soled dive bootees to protect your feet from the sharp limestone.
Diving with scuba gear is also strictly forbidden since the bubbles can get trapped underneath the jellies bells and cause damage. Snorkelling is totally fine though.
I imagine swimming with these jellyfish must be an incredible and eerie experience and it is definitely on my bucket list.