Playing with the Jellyfishes in Kakaban

Let’s drop the talk about South Korea for now. I feel like sharing about Kakaban, which I visited on July 2015. Ah, it was a year ago. We held this family trip to Derawan Islands due to school’s holidays. All of the home’s members were joined the trip, except my oldest niece because she had her own interest. A teenager’s issue when spending time with friends were much better than family.

We needed about an hour from the main island (Derawan Island) to Kakaban. For me, it was the longest one hour speed boat ride that I’d ever took because I was so nervous riding the small speed boat in the middle of sea.

The sky was covered with bright blue sky on our way to Kakaban and sometimes few dolphins were cutely jumping above the sea level surface, which lessened my nervousness somehow.

However, my worrisome and nervousness were all vanished at the time we arrived at the simple wooden pier that led us to the lake where the jellyfish existed. Besides that, I loved the three tone colors formed by the sky and the sea. It was exquisite and soothing.

The only way to reach to lake was taking the prepared narrow path through the mangrove forest. It might be a bit steep at first, but imagining what laid at the end of the path shut our nagging mouths.

Along the way, there were notification board which provided general information about the lake, the jellyfishes, what to do and don’t around and inside the lake. A nice information and reminder.

In about five minutes (it was quite short anyway, kekekeke), we arrived at the main point of the lake and we were welcomed by the tranquil sight of huge and warm lake.

Without wasting so much time, my niece, nephew, sister, and I swam among the jellyfishes. We didn’t have waterproof camera back then, so we had no picture while diving, but it sure one of the greatest snorkeling experience I ever had.

We were just like the other visitors who were feeling more contentment with one or hundreds pictures with the infamous jellyfish, so I asked my dad to take our picture from the lake’s pier and we were so careful not touching the jellyfishes, in case it might harm them (and yes, I guessed, it might harm them).

It was said that there were four types of stingless jellyfishes which could be found in Kakaban and I thought I saw three of which: Aurelia aurita with transparent body, Cassiopea ornata which is upside-down jellyfish with their tentacles upright, and last I hardly identified whether it was Tripedalia cystophora which only has a tip finger size or Mastigias papua is likes a green-brown bulb. 😀

Feeling content and enough, we then headed back to the pier where we came for taking another snorkeling time around the pier.

It was one of few times I really enjoyed playing in the water. Mostly because I adored what was laid beneath the sea surface. It was a complete reverse with my old self who was often afraid of what laid beneath the water surface, especially the limitless one, like the ocean.

It took two hour for us to enjoy the whole thing around Kakaban, before heading to the other islands, not because two hours was enough, but we had so many people with the different interest on boat, so we had to say goodbye that fast with the amazing Kakaban.

It was one wonderful swimming experience, but somehow, deep inside my heart, I felt that I might harm the harmless jellyfishes in the lake, which made me afraid, it could revive its sting as a defensive action from the aggressive visitors. However, like what I’ve said above, the whole visit time to Kakaban was one of few times I really enjoyed playing in the water, so I think if it was for Kakaban, I would love to visit it again and again.

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