Lake Kakaban – The Jellyfish Lake That Doesn’t Sting

If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming with jellyfish without turning into a human pincushion, your fantasy is not only possible—it’s floating in the heart of Indonesia.

Welcome to Lake Kakaban, a surreal body of water tucked deep within the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. Here, thousands—yes, thousands—of jellyfish pulse and drift like delicate lanterns beneath the surface. And here’s the kicker: they won’t sting you.

Lake Kakaban is one of only a handful of places in the world where this is possible, and arguably the most visually breathtaking of them all. Think: Avatar meets National Geographic.

A Lake in the Middle of the Sea

Kakaban Island isn’t massive, but it holds one of nature’s weirdest and most wonderful secrets. At its center lies a marine lake—essentially a saltwater lagoon completely enclosed by forested cliffs. This lake was once part of the ocean, but after centuries of geological uplift, it was sealed off and turned into its own isolated world.

The result? An ecological time capsule, where jellyfish rule and stingers became irrelevant.

The Jellyfish: Four Species, Zero Pain

Lake Kakaban is home to four known species of jellyfish, all of which have lost their ability to sting humans:

Golden Jellyfish – bright orange and hypnotically slow
Moon Jellyfish – clear and ghostlike, like drifting saucers
Upside-Down Jellyfish – often resting on the lake bed like underwater flowers
Box Jellyfish – normally deadly, but here... totally tame

What It Feels Like to Swim There

The experience is like entering another planet. As you wade into the warm, slightly brackish water, you’ll begin to see them—gliding silently just below the surface, dancing in lazy spirals, completely indifferent to your presence.

“You move slowly. They move slowly. It’s a peaceful, hypnotic ballet between species.”

The Lake Itself

Lake Kakaban is about 5 square kilometers wide, surrounded by a steep jungle ridge. The lake has no inlets or outlets—it is fed entirely by rainwater and seepage through porous rock. There are no boats or motors allowed. Visitors walk in via a wooden walkway through dense forest, like a secret door into another world.