This photo by Eric H. Cheng is a beautiful shot of one of about 70 lakes in the Pacific Island of Palau. The jellyfish in the photo are decendents of spotted jellyfish. The lake in this photo is commonly referred to as Jellyfish Lake... The other similar lakes in Palau are protected from people interfering with their natural ecosystems.
Since the jellyfish have no predators and they dine on algae, very small crustaceans and plankton, the stinging cells are so small that people can very comfortably and painlessly swim and dive with them. Jellyfish Lake is composed of 12 acres of seawater that is supplied through fissures in Palau's porous limestone foundation. Other than the fissures, Jellyfish Lake is isolated from the ocean. Within these mere 12-acres lives 20 MILLION jellies!
According to the National Wildlife Foundation website, "Palau’s first marine lake formed just 12,000 to 15,000 years ago after the last ice age ended and sea levels rose. Palau’s rock islands were limestone peaks riddled with erosion-carved channels, fissures and depressions. Seawater seeping through the limestone transformed the largest depressions into marine lakes and swept in the larvae of spotted jellyfish and other sea creatures. In a mere moment of evolutionary time, the landlocked jellyfish radiated into five different subspecies, each attuned to its own isolated “island” of seawater. The jellies in the deepest lakes, which filled first and are therefore the oldest, diverged the most from their lagoon-living ancestor."
I am very fascinated with the idea of one day swimming with the jellyfish of Jellyfish Lake. I've seen video footage of others doing so, and it is so surreal on a television screen--I imagine that doing it in person would be beyond words.
Check out the YouTube video below to get a better idea of the otherworldliness that is Jellyfish Lake... and BONUS... jam to a little Tears for Fears ala "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
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