The experience of swimming in a sea of jellyfish makes adventurous tourists excited

Saturday, November 25, 2023 | 19:57:00

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The feeling of colliding with thousands of soft creatures in the lake makes many visitors feel excited.

Palau is a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean , consisting of nearly 250 large and small islands with an area of ^466km2 . It is recognized as one of the 7 underwater wonders of the world with breathtaking diving areas and a variety of marine life, algae and colorful corals. Among these is a small island called Eil Mul, beautiful and peaceful. In addition, this small island also has a jellyfish lake that is believed to have existed since the ice age.

Photo: Kevin Davidson

Jellyfish Lake is famous for being one of 70 of these saltwater lakes in the South Pacific Islands that have been closed off to the ocean. Jellyfish Lake is estimated to be 12,000 years old, and may have existed since the Ice Age.

Photo: Richard Schneider

There are mainly two species of jellyfish living here: the golden jellyfish (scientific name is Mastigias papua) and the lunar jellyfish (scientific name is Aurelia). The most populous is the yellow jellyfish. This species always has to move according to the sunlight because they need light to survive.

Photo: Eureka Water Probes

Every day, swarms of jellyfish will move from East to West following the rising and setting of the sun, and at night, they will dive deep to the bottom to rest, then repeat the process throughout their lives. Just standing on the shore looking down at the lake, visitors can see countless jellyfish moving leisurely.

Photo: Benjamin Lowy

Scientists believe that the golden jellyfish in the lake are not venomous because they exist in isolation in the lake, leading to the natural venom cells being lost. Therefore, visitors to the lake are allowed to swim here.

To observe the jellyfish in the lake, visitors are only allowed to swim, snorkel and dive with masks. However, visitors are only allowed to swim in the lake at a depth of 15 meters or more. Diving deeper is not possible because the water level from 15 - 20 meters or less is a layer of extremely toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S).