Palau - How hard is the swim at Jellyfish Lake

Hi everyone. We are heading to Palau for a last minute trip mainly to do Jellyfish lake. Unfortunately I can't get a hold of Papa Mike's book here in Australia very easily so have ordered it from overseas. Hence currently trying to make plans based on the internet alone.

My main question is that my partner is 22 weeks pregnant and although reasonably fit normally, we recently went swimming with whale sharks and she struggled a bit with fitness. (We weren't aware that pregnancy saps your fitness that much due to the massive increase in blood volume to pump around.)

Anyway, she is keen to do jellyfish lake and we were just wondering what sort of average distance that you need to swim to find them. Also, if it is a far distance, then is anyone aware if you can rent a flotation device of any sort in town? eg. foam kick board etc

Cheers thanks in advance
Ced

Not being a strong swimmer I wore an inflatable snorkeling vest which I brought from home.

In my experience its not worth renting gear like that (snorkelling gear etc) as , even if available, it is not good quality

The swimming distance varies by time of day--the jellies follow the sun, so it depends on the cloud cover and the like. But there were very small children in life jackets there, so she should be fine on that front. When we went there, there were tons of jellies right off the dock.

If you go with a snorkeling tour (as opposed to with the diving group), most outfitters will supply you with a life jacket and snorkel equipment. Then you can just float on your stomach.

Be aware of the slippery limestone steps. To get to jellyfish lake, once must climb up a bunch of steps and then back down them (and repeat the process to get back). There is a rope to hang onto, but make sure you are wearing sturdy shoes.

If you plan on doing any snorkeling on your own, it is worth investing in a mask and fin set. That being said, as long as it is a reputable outfitter, you should be able to get decent gear.

Thanks for the replies. What is the longest distance that anyone remembers swimming? It might give us an idea of how much of a swim we are in for.

About a city block (the long side)?.

You might want to email whoever you're going to go with to the lake and ask them for a more accurate response.

I am not a good swimmer and have had no problems. I just snorkel over- and you can take your time. You don't really swim in jelly fish lake- so that part of it shouldn't be a problem. And of course there are no waves to battle. although the mass of jelly fish will follow the sun, you will start seeing them within about 50 ft or so. And you can and should take your time with the stairs. They can be slippery but even us old ladies have done it easily.

Edited by: 5Waldos

Aweome! Thanks guys 50ft/city block should be manageable swimming distances. Hopefully we'll find out if pregnant women float better too. Cheers

I'll be interested to learn whether the jellyfish are more interested and flock to your wife! Have a wonderful time!