Jellyfish Lake: The lake dedicated to golden jellyfish
Imagine this: You have been granted a wish by the genie and can travel anywhere in the world. Which place would you choose? Is it the Niagara Falls or the top of the Eiffel Tower? Or perhaps one of the Nordic countries where you can experience the Northern Lights? It’s a toughie, no? Well, today we are going to make your choice even tougher with a lake dedicated to jellyfish. Yes, that’s right, there exists a lake that is specially dedicated to golden jellyfish and it is known as the Jellyfish Lake. In fact, you will be amazed to know that this saltwater lake is the one and only home of these amazing and extraordinary kind of jellyfish. Want to know more? Read on.
Where on earth is Jellyfish Lake?
For those unaware, there’s a group of islands on the South Pacific called Palau, that often gets overlooked, thanks to its more popular neighbours Fiji, Bora Bora and Cook Islands, all favourite travel destinations. It is on this Palau archipelago (comprising of more than 500 remote tropical islands) where Jellyfish Lake is located. The Jellyfish Lake is on the Eil Malk Island. Want to find this marine lake on a map? Try looking 400 miles north of New Guinea! Interestingly, the Jellyfish Lake or the Fifth Lake is now protected as part of a marine sanctuary, making the region perhaps the largest preserved marine territory across the globe. Oh, and did we mention that unlike most lakes, the Jellyfish Lake is made up of dual layers, that never mix? They are, the upper layer or the pink bacterial layer that has most of the oxygen, and the lower anoxic layer, with minimum oxygen concentration.
From Pacific Ocean to the Jellyfish Lake
As we have already mentioned, the Jellyfish Lake is home to the exotic type of jellyfish called the golden jellyfish. In fact, this is the only place where they are found. Interestingly, golden jellyfish is one of the rare species of jellyfish that lives in lakes, as most other jellyfishes prefer to swim in oceans. But now comes the question, how did the golden jellyfish end up in Jellyfish Lake alone?
Well, to understand this, let’s sit on a time machine and go back to almost 12000 years from today. During this time, the Jellyfish Lake didn’t really exist, and the golden jellyfish was native to the main Pacific Ocean. In fact, this was around the time of the last Ice Age, when the ocean level was so high that it flooded any of the basins nearby. However, over the years, the sea level reduced and man started building habitats along the coasts. This is when a lake too was formed and the ancient species of the golden jellyfish kind of got trapped, being unable to return to the ocean. So, it’s almost as if the lake came to be known as the Jellyfish Lake as the golden jellyfish started calling it home, or as the scientists call it, an isolated ecosystem.
A peep at the golden jellyfish
First things first, how many golden jellyfish continue to dominate the Jellyfish Lake, their holy abode? Turns out, till 2016, it was close to 30 million. However, unfortunately, the current population stands at 700,000. This significant decline is a result of climate change (especially taking in account the recent back-to-back El Nino weather phenomenon).
Here’s something more interesting about the golden jellyfish. It has a stark sense of direction, unlike its cousins. In fact, it travels all across the lake every day, following the sun around. Why? This is because it has an unusual relationship with its food source, that is present inside its tissues. It is none other than algae that needs enough sunlight to grow in the form of photosynthesis.
Okay, now, here’s what makes the Jellyfish Lake so special other than its unique inhabitants golden jellyfish is made in such a way that unlike others of its ilk: Its jellies do not sting, and even if they do, they can’t be felt by humans. So, this makes it easier for people to actually swim side by side with the golden jellyfish in the Jellyfish Lake and experience something both unique and magical.