The journey from the heart of the Tanjung Puting jungle to the Derawan Islands in East Kalimantan required a combination of a pioneer flight (which made Andrea slightly nauseous again) and a high-adrenaline speedboat ride across the waves of the Sulawesi Sea. However, all the travel fatigue was instantly paid off the moment they arrived at their destination: an exclusive resort on Maratua Island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Derawan cluster.
If Labuan Bajo offered a dramatic, ancient landscape, then Derawan was the definition of a tropical paradise postcard. Stretches of white sand as fine as baby powder, crystal-clear seawater with color gradients from light blue to turquoise and then deep blue, and luxurious wooden bungalows standing gracefully over the water, complete with private terraces and direct stairs leading to the sea.
"Okay, I think I could live here... forever!" Caroline exclaimed the moment she saw the view from her bungalow balcony. She immediately dropped onto a lounge chair, ready to bask in the sun (this time she had a large bottle of sunblock ready).
Even Jim, who was usually more interested in rocks or philosophy, fell silent, admiring the beauty of the sea before him. "The composition of natural colors here... approaches the mathematical perfection of the golden ratio," he murmured.
Nisa and Reza could only smile happily at their guests' reactions. After a quite intense jungle adventure, a few days of relaxation in a marine paradise like this were much needed. The agenda for the first day in Maratua was very relaxed: swimming in front of the bungalow, trying out stand-up paddle boards (Andrea fell off the most often), or simply lounging around enjoying the view.
However, Nisa had prepared one special agenda for the next day (Day 18), something she guaranteed would be an unforgettable experience: visiting Kakaban Lake, a unique brackish water lake on an uninhabited island near Maratua, which is home to thousands of jellyfish that are... stingless!
"Wait, wait," Andrea interrupted when Nisa explained the plan during a fresh grilled fish dinner at the resort's beachfront restaurant. "Jellyfish? Those clear, slimy creatures whose sting can knock you out? And we're going to swim with them? Nisa, are you serious? Is this some kind of revenge prank because I freaked out about the Komodo dragons yesterday?"
Nisa laughed. "Serious, Andrea! The jellyfish in Kakaban Lake are special. Because they have lived isolated in that lake for thousands of years without natural predators, they have lost their ability to sting. So we can swim among them safely. This is one of the few places in the world where you can do this."
Sharon looked interested. "Wow, that's a fascinating evolutionary phenomenon!"
Jim immediately became excited. "Stingless jellyfish? I must see this! Is this proof of Lamarck's theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, or purely Darwinian natural selection? I must observe their morphology and behavior up close!"
Caroline was also curious. "So it's like swimming in a giant bowl of jelly soup?"