Zlote Wakacje

Jellyfish Lake

One of the "nienurkowych" attractions of Palau Jellyfish Lake is a lake. Located on the island of Eil Malk one of the islands Rock Islands - uninhabited group of islands between 1970 Koror and Peleliu. It is inhabited by millions of jellyfish moving during the day according to the place of incidence of sunlight. The lake is connected with the ocean by underground channels, but it is fairly limited access and both water salinity and the species living here differs from the species of jellyfish in the nearby lagoons.

Legend has it that the first jellyfish has been moved here by a pelican. He had saved her from being eaten by a crocodile. Jellyfish belong to a species of golden jellyfish and the moon jellyfish, and does not burn.

Leads to the lake a short walk. You need to bring fins, mask and snorkel, and of course shoes, where you can swim, but which appear necessary in the short, because of about 5-minute climb to the lake. We had a much easier path located along the line, which should be kept properly all the time.

On the lake there is a jetty where you can leave unnecessary things - extra T-shirts, hats and sunglasses (even though it's probably not recommended - a walk in the forest). Sometimes the bridge is quite crowded and you should not take each other valuables. There are guarded, then it may be difficult to determine what happened to them when I sail in the direction of jellyfish. Here still do not see any jellyfish. After a briefing on mobility in water and gentle movement in the area where the fins are already setting off jellyfish.

The water in the lake is naturally quite warm but cloudy - the visibility is less than 10-in meters. The maximum depth is 30 meters up, but swimming is allowed only on the surface due to toxins released by dead jellyfish. Diving in the lake has also been prohibited.

In the first place you can see the coastal environment and mangrove tree roots (Mangrove) and then follow the guide who knows where at certain times there are jellyfish.

In the middle of the lake is set tracing the migration station during the day.

Previous research shows the following behavior

- At night, for 14 hours jellyfish move up and down in the western part of the lake is likely to obtain nutrients for the symbiotic algae. Medusa "eat" the sun's rays, so while this movement is likely to take additional components.

- From early morning to about 9:30 jellyfish move from the central part of the western basin to the eastern part

- From early afternoon to about 15:30 back from the eastern to the western part

The weather was good and after a few minutes snoorkelingu in the sunlight, the first and then, thousands of jellyfish. These major move slowly and very dignified, tiny - pretty quickly. You can touch them all the same, they also swim and "rub" about the human body. One of the instructors said that it is a paradise for men, amateurs implants. It was difficult at the beginning to understand it, but it does resemble jellyfish silicone breast implants. The touch is very nice (although it's a very subjective feeling) - warm for such a seemingly delicate organisms quite hard (as a truncated power but trembling jelly.)

We had a lot of luck - in addition to our group a few people on the lake there was no one else - there was nothing around the unbroken silence.

Among the jellyfish may be present within a few hours - but of course must also be guided by common sense and starts back up after about half an hour.