The further you go towards the centre of the lake, the more jellyfish there are. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
The further you go towards the centre of the lake, the more jellyfish there are. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)

Kakaban and its lake with jellyfish that don't sting...

#Kakaban #Bornéo #Indonesia

  Borneo: Indonesia + Malaysia - July 2013

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text: 


Borneo is an adventure! I went back to the Indonesian island of Kakaban and its mysterious jellyfish lake. I even went back to swim there. The proof in video...

Return to Kakaban, four years later

2009-2013. Yes, this is the second time I've been to the island of kakabanin the archipelago of Derawanon the southeast coast of Borneoon the Indonesian side.

Four years separate the two photos below...

Kakaban in July 2009.
On the pontoon of Kakaban in July 2009.
Kakaban in July 2013.
On the Kakaban pontoon in July 2013.

In the game of seven differences, we notice that a wooden guardhouse, painted in blue, was built at the back, but especially that my Tribord lycra and my jersey are unwearable... 😂

I invite you to reread the article I wrote at the time on Kakaban:

Kakaban, the island of jellyfish [July 2009]

Four years later, the place has become very popular. Groups of Asian vacationers arrive every day, strapped into beautiful orange life jackets - because many can't swim.

It is now necessary to pay a small entrance fee of 10,000 IDR (less than one euro) and sign a register to access the lake. It is also now forbidden to swim with flippers, to avoid the risk of cutting in two the famous jellyfish.

The island of Kakaban is in fact a vast lake of brackish water, surrounded by a coral ring protected by mangroves. (Borneo, Indonesia)
The island of Kakaban is in fact a vast lake of brackish water, surrounded by a coral ring protected by mangroves. (Borneo, Indonesia)
Kakaban's jellyfish lake is huge! (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
Kakaban's jellyfish lake is huge! (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)

Jellyfish that do not sting

It seems incredible, but in fact, these jellyfish do not sting! Even though we know it, it's always a bit strange, when swimming, to be in the middle of these gelatinous creatures, which we have learned to be wary of...

The explanation would be as follows: about 10,000 years ago, a geological phenomenon raised the island, trapping marine animals inside a crater, including jellyfish. These, being without predators, have lost their stinging power over the millennia.

The proof in pictures, with the video below!

You will note, at the 15e secondly, the kindness and good mood of one of our Indonesian diving guides, who did not want to let me carry my heavy waterproof case, containing my 7D, on the wooden walkway, slippery in places (see page Equipment my equipment for underwater photography).

In any case, I had a lot of fun making a little film almost similar to the one I made, Four years ago.

UPDATE. It is better not to touch the jellyfish as we did during our swim... Of course, they do not sting. The danger is not for us, but for them. Because we are the ones who risk to harm them by force, if all the visitors who come in number from now on have fun to do the same... The lake of Kakaban is a fragile ecosystem and the exponential number of tourists who come to bathe in its waters risks to weaken it even more. In short, I should not have done this gesture nor filmed it. Belated realization. Mea culpa. Please, don't imitate us.

Kakaban lake side and sea side

There are other jellyfish lakes around the world. Those of Kakaban (Borneo, Indonesia) and Palau (Micronesia) are the best known.

In Indonesia, there are in particular Raja Ampat (West Papua) and also to the Togian Islands (Sulawesi).

The pontoon that gives access to the jellyfish lake of Kakaban. (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
The pontoon that gives access to the jellyfish lake of Kakaban. (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
A crown of mangroves surrounds the jellyfish lake. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
A crown of mangroves surrounds the jellyfish lake. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
The water of the jellyfish lake of Kakaban has a beautiful jade green colour, which is an invitation to swim. (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
The water of the Kakaban Jellyfish Lake has a beautiful jade green color, which encourages swimming (Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)

As for the jellyfish, I will have the opportunity to splash around with them several times, between two dives on the sea side, during this stay of 2013because the resort Derawan Dive Lodge takes us regularly to make bubbles around the island, along the coral reef, splendid (I will show you that in a future post).

It is fascinating to observe them. They throb by the hundreds, by the thousands, in the green waters of the lake, like so many beating hearts.

The further you go towards the centre of the lake, the more jellyfish there are. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)
The further you go towards the centre of the lake, the more jellyfish there are. (Kakaban, Borneo, Indonesia, July 2013)

Between dives, our small group lunch on the pontoon, before or after the jellyfish tour.

And then we take advantage of the view on the sea side... Magnificent!

😎

The Kakaban pontoon. Borneo, Indonesia. July 2013.
The Kakaban pontoon. Borneo, Indonesia. July 2013.
Kakaban Island. Borneo, Indonesia. July 2013.
The island of Kakaban. Borneo, Indonesia. July 2013.

👌

  Borneo: Indonesia + Malaysia - July 2013

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. @Guillaume: It is quite fascinating to see them evolve in this kind of greenish soup, to see them palpitating, most of the time upside down, it is really curious... An astonishing show, of which one does not get tired.

  1. Aaargh! Even if they don't sting, I wouldn't feel comfortable at all surrounded by hundreds of jellyfish like that.

    I had a similar experience during my dives in Spain (Murcia - Mar Menor), in a small "inland sea", where jellyfish swarm in summer with the warming of the water (which is then around 28 - 30°).
    They are not dangerous either, the children even have fun playing soccer with the jellyfish washed up on the beach... But in the middle of these hundreds of jellyfish, I felt surrounded, and claustrophobic tendencies (that I didn't know myself until then) took over! I didn't enjoy diving at all!

    Good if you could have fun!
    On the other hand, your photos of the sea are magnificent, it makes you dream! Curious to see the photos of the coral reef 😉

    1. @Amandine: Yes, this abundance of jellyfish that appear from everywhere in the greenish water can be a bit scary, I can imagine... As for the underwater pictures, they will come in the next post...
      😉

  2. So there, I just learned something ! Nice jellyfish ?? ha ! ha ! I will never be believed 😆
    Anyway, I still find the ride very nice!! 🙂

    1. @Brice: Yes, it is very nice to go diving in Kakaban. Not only for the dives themselves (you will see in the next post), but also for the decompression interval, either on the beach or in the jellyfish lake...
      8)

    1. @Chris: Yes, I know. I wrote it in the article above... Explaining that we were snorkeling in the jellyfish lake between two dives on the Kakaban reef, and that I will tell it in the next post... So be patient!
      😉

  3. I didn't know that jellyfish didn't sting in Togian. I don't remember seeing a lot of them. But seen like that, one is immediately more relaxed in front of these rather strange beasts.

    1. @Laurent: That is not what I wrote. I did not say that jellyfish did not sting in Togian. I just said that there was also a lake in Togian (Sulawesi) similar to the Kakaban lake (Borneo), containing jellyfish that have lost their stinging power over the course of ten thousand years... (Read the article above.)

      But the jellyfish that live in the sea, whether in Togian, Kakaban or elsewhere, are usually stinging... and I wouldn't be relaxed at all if I found myself immersed in a mass of jellyfish like that!
      🙄

    2. Oops, my eyes did indeed bug out if I do say so myself 🙁 I can imagine the embarrassment if I go back and tell everyone, go ahead, it's guaranteed, here the jellyfish don't sting, I read about it on Petites Bulles D'ailleurs!

  4. 2009 - 2013 => The game of 7 differences:
    - the blue sentry box
    - the flippers
    - the little blonde who dyed her hair and put on a little weight
    - her boyfriend who got tattooed all over
    - Corinne wearing glasses
    - his friend who has distanced himself
    - and who stung his watch!
    I'm good ❓

    In any case, thank you again for this zoo report that makes me want to visit this part of Borneo that I do not know

    NB: Incredible this story of Trobird lycra and wearable jersey => but what about the model who presents them? 😆 😆

    1. @Alimata:
      😀 😆 😆 😡 😛
      You got it right. You won the jackpot at the 7 differences game: a non-stinging jellyfish skin koteka, certified 100% hypoallergenic, not found in the lycra section of À Donf la Forme stores... You are expected to parade, just after the girls in used bathing suits, on the Kakaban pontoon, at the Borneo Fashion Week next summer... Come and join us.
      😆

  5. Superb spot and superb jellyfish! As Tonton Photo said, the video gives off a rather surreal atmosphere. Thank you for this moment of magic, few people can imagine themselves surrounded by jellyfish while remaining as calm as you... even knowing that the years have made them lose their ability to sting.
    The experience looks incredible.

    1. @Laurent: the experience is indeed incredible, and many tourists come to splash in this lake, including children... It is an amazing place, but there is nothing scary.

  6. Not yet had the chance to dive in this famous jellyfish lake! That said, we did a very similar dive a short time ago ... in Marseille !!!! 😆 The south wind had brought all the jellyfish in a cove... quite incredible !

  7. Quite fascinating diving with jellyfish. Always wanted to try it since a report made by Nicolas Hulot. But I think it was not in the same area!
    Still beautiful pictures!

Share
Tweet
Share