Monday Archives: The Amazing Jellyfish of Palau

by | Jan 16, 2023 | Travel | 1 comment

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

  • Francis Yupangco

    Francis is a marine biologist with an MBA and over 20 years of professional aquarium experience. Francis is the former Aquatic Development Manager at Hagen USA., makers of Fluval brand aquarium products. He co-stars on Nat Geo WILD's reality TV series Fish Tank Kings where he is the resident "Fish Geek" and was Director of Marketing at Living Color Aquariums. He is an avid explorer having visited over 45 countries and lived in 7. At 17, he was among the youngest aquarists ever hired by the Vancouver Aquarium, where he worked for 7 years. His aquatic biology experience ranges from larval fish rearing to the design, construction and operational management of renowned public aquariums around the world. Francis is currently head of marketing at the world's largest vertically integrated fish farming company.

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