In the Philippine Sea in the island state of Palau on the island of Eil Malk, there is an unusual lake. Its dimensions are small and are only 460 meters long and 160 meters wide. Its depth is 50 meters. The lake was formed 12 thousand years ago - due to the collision of two tectonic plates. As a result of this collision, a depression was formed, into which salt water with some marine life penetrated through small pores. The largest were jellyfish. Now there are about 15 million of them in the lake.
In total, Palau includes 328 islands. Volcanoes are hidden under the water, on the tops of which a large number of small atolls have formed that make up the archipelago. The beautiful nature of Palau attracts tourists, and especially diving enthusiasts. You can see various tropical fish and rare mammals underwater. And swim in Lake Medusa with millions of jellyfish who cannot sting. True, only snorkeling is officially allowed in this lake, scuba diving is prohibited here.
Lake Medusa is located on a volcano, but is not a crater lake. It is connected to the ocean through numerous tunnels and cracks. In the lake itself, the water is divided into two layers, such lakes are called meromictic, there are only 200 of them on the planet. In the upper, saturated with oxygen, all living organisms live. Below 15 meters, the second layer begins, saturated with ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and phosphorus. Divers are warned of the dangers of being in this anoxic layer of the lake, as intoxication through the skin can occur.
The layers never mix for some reason: the lake is surrounded by rocks, so there is almost never a wind here that could mix the layers of water; the lake's water sources, such as rain and runoff through cracks, fall on the top layer; the lake is located in a tropical climate, where the temperature does not change significantly.
However, the main attractions of the lake are still jellyfish. Due to the absence of any natural enemies in the lake, their population has increased significantly and now reaches about fifteen million. The lake is inhabited by two types of jellyfish: golden and moon. Since there is almost no animal food in the lake, jellyfish themselves became vegetarians - stinging cells atrophied on their tentacles. Therefore, everyone can safely swim among so many jellyfish, without fear of getting burned. Scuba diving on Lake Medusa is prohibited - air bubbles are dangerous, which, falling under the dome of the jellyfish, kill it. During the day, jellyfish make vertical and horizontal migrations.
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In 1998-1999, the number of jellyfish in the lake decreased significantly due to a sharp increase in the water temperature in the lake. Then almost the entire population of lake jellyfish died. But by the beginning of the 2000s, the number of jellyfish recovered to its previous level. Now a special pier has been built for tourists wishing to swim in Lake Medusa. On it you can change clothes, leave things and enter the water. You can also dock on a boat on the other side of the island, however, in this case, you will have to walk a little through the jungle, and at the same time admire the beauty of this unusual corner of the planet.