Jellyfish Lake is popular for snorkeling

This video depicts a swim through Jellyfish Lake. The lake is 12,000 years old, contains saltwater, and is located on Palau, an island nation some 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of the Philippines and more than 3,000 kilometers ( 2,000 miles) south of Tokyo.

Although the lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the land, it’s isolated enough so that the golden jellyfish (Mastigias sp.) and possibly other species in the lake have evolved differently from their close relatives living in the nearby lagoons. The golden jellyfish have stinging cells (nematocytes), but they’re not in general powerful enough to cause harm to humans. It has been reported that it’s possible to notice the stings on sensitive areas – say, around the mouth.

Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is a popular activity for tourists to Palau. Tour guides recommend that people with allergies to jellyfish consider wearing protective clothing.

This video of a swim through Jellyfish Lake was posted on Vimeo by by Sarosh Jacob earlier this month. Here’s his complete description. Very cool, Sarosh! Thank you for sharing.