Swimming with Jellyfish

Photographer Nana Trongratanawong shot an amazing video of the Jellyfish Lake in Palau.



Swimming in this lake was definitely the most memorable experience I had during my diving trip in Palau back in 2003. The jellies were firmer than what I expected: plumper than a jello shot, but not as firm as a rubber ball. The feeling of them bouncing off my body underwater registered a new somatosensory sensation in the parietal lobe of my brain. So strange yet addictive.

One warning about visiting the Jellyfish lake: wash off the sunscreen in the ocean before hiking up to the lake. The lake is completely isolated, and the jellies and other organisms in the lake are sensitive to sunscreens and other chemicals. The amount of chemicals off one person may not be much, but it can accumulate as hundreds of people visit the lake each year. This is one of the most unique places on the planet, and we need to be responsible tourists in order to enjoy these wonderful places for decades and centuries.