Lake Medusa, Palau. Where is Lake Jellyfish?

Most people do not like jellyfish, fortunately, they only appear offshore from time to time. But imagine a place where they exist constantly and in great numbers. Presented? This place is! This is the Jellyfish Lake in Palau.

Lake Rocky Islands

The Republic of Palau is located in the Pacific Ocean, about 800 kilometers from the Philippines. It is completely located on the islands and is amazing with its nature. One of its archipelagos - the Rocky Islands - was even called the "underwater miracle of the world". Its coastal waters inhabit more than a thousand species of fish and marine mammals, many of which are rare.

Not surprisingly, here is located and the "abode of jellyfish". Lake with unusual inhabitants for such water bodies appeared 12 thousand years ago. Now it is inhabited by several million jellyfish. The number of tourists arriving to look at them, too, does not lag behind this figure. Due to this, snorkeling is developing here - surface swimming with a tube and glasses, by means of which you can watch for "jelly-like" for hours.

Where is Lake Jellyfish? It is located in the eastern part of the coral island of Eil Mulk. The lake is not too big, but it is long in length. At the widest point the reservoir reaches 160 meters, in the longest - 460 meters. Its depth does not exceed 50 meters.

Features of the Jellyfish in Palau

Lakes like this, on the island about ten, but this is the largest. It is interesting not only for its inhabitants. Thus, the reservoir refers to a meteoric or two-layered lakes. Its surface and deep waters are different and practically do not mix with each other.

The upper layer of the Jellyfish Lake in Palau is saturated with oxygen. It extends to a depth of 15 meters. It is inhabited by most living organisms, as well as precipitation and runoff. The lower layer is devoid of oxygen, but it contains hydrogen sulphide, phosphates and ammonia. Because of the harm of such water for humans, diving is prohibited here. The upper layer is inhabited by bacteria.

The lake formed in the natural deepening of the island, which appeared as a result of the movement of the earth's crust. It is not cut off from the "big water" completely, with the ocean it connects through holes and cracks in the rocks of limestone.

Inhabitants of the lake

As the jellyfish were in the lake, it is not known exactly. Most likely, the young specimens came here along with water passing through the tunnels of the rocks. According to another version, they have been living in the reservoir since the time of its formation: after lowering the sea level, part of the water along with its "population" remained on the island, having formed lakes.

Here, in sufficiently favorable conditions and the absence of natural enemies, the jellyfish increased the number several thousand times. Now the lake is teeming with them. The two main species that live in it: the golden jellyfish and the moon. In addition to them, the pond inhabits several species of fish and crustaceans.

The way of life of gold jellyfish is closely related to the green algae that settle inside them. Organisms "concluded" a kind of contract, providing each other with useful substances. Algae need light, so in the afternoon jellyfish move after the sun, describing the circles on the lake. At night, they descend into the lower layers to be saturated with nitrogen.

Life of jellyfish

The accepted names, the species of jellyfish that live in the lake , are only conditional. So, the golden jellyfish, most likely, refers to Mastigias papua, and the lunar - to aurelia (Aurelia aurita). Classify local inhabitants is difficult, because they have significant differences with related species living on the high seas off the coast of the islands.

Despite a small connection with the ocean, the Lake of Medusa in Palau is isolated enough. This could not but affect the lives of its inhabitants. Scientists suggest that a prolonged isolated existence contributed to some internal and external changes, resulting in the formation of individual subspecies of jellyfish.

And the golden jellyfish, and the lunar one belong to the class of scythoid or flickering. As a rule, on their tentacles there are special cells that allow them to sting the enemy. Lonely and cloudless existence on the island contributed to the death of these cells.

Paradise for tourists

Lake Medusa in Palau is a unique natural place. It is surrounded by rocks and tropical trees, and its waters are inhabited by millions of jellyfish. This place attracts tourists and gives an opportunity to observe the life of the inhabitants of the reservoir.

In the sea, huge jellyfish can pose a serious danger to humans. They painfully sting and are poisonous. Jellyfish on the island of Eil Mulk in Palau have long lost this ability, allowing curious tourists to approach them for a very short distance.