#jellyfish lake

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Sun-lovers: Dive into a lake with millions of golden jellyfish? Each year, tourists from around the world choose to do just that in Palau’s Jellyfish Lake. Every day the jellies migrate from one side of the lake to the other, following the arc of the sun to power the algae-like organisms in their bodies.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ENRIC SALA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

[jurakan]

One fun fact, please! Preferably one involving little squiggly things.

Uh… squiggly things? [searches through notes] I didn’t, um, plan for that in my notes for today, but I’m sure I can think of something, just give me a sec…

[pulls out a slip of paper] Aha! Yes! Okay, I hope this works: Today You Learned about Jellyfish Lake in Palau!

Right, so off the coast of Palau (which itself is east of the Philippines), there’s a butt-ton of saltwater lakes, and one of them is full of jellyfishes. 

The jellyfish may have been living there for thousands of years. It’s unclear! But a curious feature about these jellyfishes is that since they feed on algae, and have no natural predators, they don’t have stings! Which means that you can totally go swimming in the lake with the jellyfish, and you’ll be A-okay!

Neat, isn’t it? There aren’t a ton of places you can go swimming with jellyfish without any risk of getting stung, but herswime’s one.

[bingwallpaper]

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

If you’re lucky enough to see this view through the lens of your diving mask, you must be snorkelling in Jellyfish Lake on the island of Eil Malk in the Pacific island nation of Palau. Golden jellyfish are a subspecies unique to this small lake, on this small island – they’re found nowhere else on the planet. About a million teacup-sized golden jellyfish inhabit the lake, following the sunlight that nourishes them. Symbiotic algae live inside the jellyfish and provide their hosts with energy as a byproduct of photosynthesis. The more sun the jellyfish get, the more energy they derive. So, they start the day at the east end of the lake and drift westward until dusk, following the arc of the sun.

The saltwater marine lake they live in is one of 10 on Eil Malk, which is only 18.9 square kilometres in size, and one of many on the Rock Islands, which Eil Malk is part of. The Rock Islands, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, is a scattering of hundreds of very small, mostly unpopulated limestone islands and islets characterised by their mushroom-like shape. Put together, all the islands are only 41 square kilometres in size, making Eil Malk one of the bigger ones. The marine lakes, like Jellyfish Lake, were once joined to the ocean, but long ago became landlocked. Golden jellyfish evolved in this micro universe, away from other food sources and predators. As a result, they have lost their ability to sting. So, if you go snorkelling, there’s no need to keep a distance.

[tatmanblue]

Jellyfish Lake in Palau by Olivier Blaise Via Flickr: The Micronesian archipelago of Palau, a paradise for divers. 

[gracefullyclumsy]

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

[sedusadrakaina]

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

[youwakeupinadungeon]

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

[rodenbeard]

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

[splitgems]

i wanna go swimming again

[sysig]

Everyone needs a sugar-sweet mergirlfriend! (Patreon)

[midwestspitfire]

Jellyfish Lake, Republic of Palau, Micronesia

[seasonallydefective]

I’m forever fascinated by people who will straight up tell you a thing they vaguely heard once but wholeheartedly believe as 1000% fact

But then you google that thing in front of them and it’s completely demonstrably NOT TRUE AT ALL not a single bit

And if you try to tell them they’re just like, “imma go ahead and NOT integrate that into my belief system thanks.”

[sunnylittlebisexual]

I made this, I think it's pretty cool. Peer pressure me into making a moodboard sideblog lol idk I'll make more if anyone else wants one, just send an ask or message ✨️

[ariesbilly]

Realizing something about my fear of lakes and why everyone else seems to be so chill with them

Do y’all just not have animals you need to fear in the lake?? Cuz my ass is constantly worried about gators (I know that’s a southern thing) and snakes and shit like

Do y’all just not have menacing animals in your lakes? But also even people down here are far too chill with lakes y’all don’t value your lives

[louis-etoile]

Jellyfish Lake, Republic of Palau, Micronesia

[vihnce-etrifi]

Cherry blossoms and clear blue water stimboard for anon! 🌸 🌸 🌸 | 🎐 🎐 🎐 | 🌊 🌊 🌊