If the sight of jellyfish normally leaves you feeling itchy, as it does for myself, Jellyfish Lake is the place for you. The Golden Jelly, Mastigias papua etpisoni, and the less common Moon Jelly, Aurelia, are two species that reside at Jellyfish Lake in Eil Maik Island, Palau. The Lake is a tourist destination for visitors, who come to swim with its friendly, non-stinging jellyfish.
The evolution of these jellyfish occurred approximately 12,000 years ago, when sea levels rose and the Jellies become trapped in the lake. It is often said that these amazing jellyfish have lost their ability to sting, due to the lack of any predators. According to the Coral Reef Research Foundation, however, the jellyfish do have stingers and the Lake is actually not predator free. Although the Lake does contain some predatory species, the Jellies make a daily migration, that follows the arc of the sun, which helps them avoid running into any enemies and from the need to use their stingers. I will be putting this Lake on my ‘must visit’ dive list. MORE
Source: Buzzfeed by Maycie Thornton
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