Swim among sting-less jellyfish in a landlocked lake on an uninhabited island.
Kakaban is a raised coral atoll with a brackish lake trapped in its centre, cut off from the sea long enough that its jellyfish lost the need to sting. Float among them and they pulse harmlessly around you, a strange and quiet experience shared by only a few lakes on earth. You reach the lake by a short boardwalk and stairs over the jungle from the boat landing.
Be aware that the lake is fragile. The jellyfish population crashed badly around late 2023, blamed on too many visitors, and the site was closed to recover.
It has since reopened with stricter rules, including periodic closures, but numbers are still building back. Treat it gently.
Getting there
Kakaban is a boat trip from Derawan or Maratua, usually part of an island-hopping day tour booked through a homestay or dive shop, taking roughly 45 minutes to over an hour each way depending on the base and the sea. The island is uninhabited, so you arrive, walk to the lake, and leave the same day. Most operators combine it with Sangalaki or Maratua in one circuit.
Best time
Go in the dry season (April to October) for calm seas on the crossing. Check current opening status before you commit, as management closes the lake for several days each month to let the ecosystem rest, and conditions can change.
Good to know
Do not wear sunscreen and do not use fins in the lake, as both harm the jellyfish; cover up with a rash guard instead. Lower yourself in gently, never jump or dive, and avoid pushing the jellyfish toward the bottom. There is a small entry fee and basic facilities only, so bring water and cash.
Yes. The lake's jellyfish are effectively sting-less to humans after evolving without predators, so floating among them is harmless to you. The bigger concern is your impact on them, hence the no-sunscreen and no-fins rules.
Sunscreen chemicals pollute the enclosed water and fins can slice or crush the soft jellyfish. After a population collapse in 2023, these rules and seasonal closures were introduced to help the lake recover, so they are strictly enforced.
It reopened after the temporary closure, but with periodic monthly rest days and recovering jellyfish numbers. Confirm the current status with your operator before booking, since access can be paused.
Add it to a route across Indonesia and we will work out the travel time and cost between every stop.
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