The Lake of Golden Jellyfish
On a Pacific island, a hidden lake holds millions of golden jellyfish that follow the Sun across the water every day. Their sting is too weak to hurt.
What was reported
On the uninhabited island of Eil Malk, in Palau, a short hike through the jungle leads to a marine lake connected to the sea only through cracks in the rock. It holds millions of golden jellyfish, which swim across the lake every day, following the Sun from east to west.
Visitors can snorkel among them. The jellyfish have weak stings, harmless to people, because they get most of their food from algae living inside their bodies, which need sunlight.
Explanations offered
The lake was cut off from the ocean around 12,000 years ago as sea levels changed, and its jellyfish evolved in isolation. In 2016, a drought caused their numbers to crash, and the lake was closed. They have since recovered.
- When
- Isolated for about 12,000 years
- Where
- Jellyfish Lake, Eil Malk, Palau
- Witnesses
- Swimmers, divers and scientists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.