Diving Kakaban Island

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Kakaban island is part of the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia The island has an area of 774.2 hectares (1,913 acres) and is quite steep with limestone cliffs covered with dense jungle right down to the water's edge and few beaches. The wall drops to 180 metres (590 ft) and currents can be strong with upwelling, downcurrent and reversing directions. The most distinctive feature is the huge brackish water lake in the middle of the island, in the local dialect Kakaban means "hug" as the island hugs the lake from the surrounding seawater.

In the middle of this island is a mangrove-fringed lake, slightly above sea level, where thousands of non-stinging jellyfish live making it interesting for diving. The jellyfish consist of four different species which have lost their natural defense system because of the lack of major predators in the lake. Similar lakes exist in thePhilippines ( Siargao ) Palau, with Jellyfish Lake being the best known.

The lake has warm brackish water and the bottom is covered with marine green algae. There are other animals living here, some sea cucumbers, gobies, sea anemones, tunicates, crustaceans, nudibranchs, orange purple clams and yellow clams on the branches, and snakes.

The lake is at most 17 metres (56 ft) deep with poor visibility and is 10 minutes walk from the beach. Kakaban was probably uplifted during the Holocene and sea water was trapped turning the area and formed a landlocked marine lake. The water is now a mixture of salt water and sweet water from the rain.

Stingless Jellyfish

In general, people feared to jellyfish because they have stings and fatal, but there are jellyfish that do not have stings. Ornate Cassiopeia is their name. Generally known by the name Stingless jellyfish. This change is due to the natural evolution of life on the habitat of these jellyfish. Living in close environment make the jellyfish do not have threat from vertebrate. Therefore this type of jellyfish do not need stings to protect themselves.

Not only that, these jellyfish will also issue a colorful light when it was getting dark. This jellyfish swim upside down with tentacles facing upwards. This is because a closed environment, so that food in the water becomes limited. Therefore, the jellyfish do simbioses mutualism with algae. Algae need sunlight to produce food. In the world, there are only two places which is the origin habitat of this type of jellyfish. Kakaban Island in Indonesia and Palau, Micronesia.

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How to get there 

- Flight Jakarta-Tarakan; Tarakan-Jakart: 2-way, Rp. 1.3Million/person

- Airport tax Jakarta: Rp. 40K

- Airport Tax Juwata Tarakan: Rp. 30K

- Juwata Airport to Pelabuhan SDF: Rp. 50K

- Speed Boat Tarakan - Tanjung Selor: : Rp. 85K

- Public Transport Tanjung Selor – Berau: Rp. 70K

- Public Transport Berau – Pelabuhan Tanjung Batu: Rp. 60K

- Speed Boat Tanjung Batu – Derawan: 250K(available for 5 person)

- Motel/Hotel at Derawan: Rp.75-450K

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