Closer with Jellyfish on Kakaban Island East Kalimantan

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Closer with Jellyfish on Kakaban Island East Kalimantan

Exploring Derawan Island, Berau, East Kalimantan is incomplete if you do not visit Kakaban Island. One of the largest islands of several islands scattered around Derawan Island. The area of Kakaban Island reaches 774.2 hectares. Kakaban Island attracts local and foreign tourists because most of its territory is a brackish watery lake. So it's like a huge natural pool.

Kakaban Lake is the sea water trapped in Kakaban Island, plus water from the soil and rainwater since 2 million years ago. Lake of Kakaban is a prehistoric lake that is the transitional period of Holosin. The extent of about 5 km ², rocky cliff wall as high as 50 meters, which resulted in trapped sea water can no longer be out, into a lake. Administratively, Kakaban Lake belongs to Berau District, East Kalimantan.

Closer with Jellyfish

Kakaban Island in the local language is a "hugging" island. So Kakaban Island means "an island that embraces the lake", including it's flora and fauna full of uniqueness.

Due to changes and evolution long enough by rain water and groundwater, the water of this lake then becomes more fresh than the surrounding sea. This change also affects the adaptation of the marine fauna in the lake. Jellyfish for example, due to limited food, eventually adapt to performing mutualistic symbiosis with algae. Algae is a food producer and must cook food with the help of sunlight.

For thousands of years the lake in the middle of the sea is of course created a unique ecosystem of its own. This unique lake has four types of jellyfish, one of which is Cassiopea type jellyfish. In the world, places like this are found only in the Palau Jellyfish Lake, Micronesia Islands in the Southeast Pacific region. Thus Kakaban Island is the only island in Indonesia that has a lake in the middle.

In addition on the outskirts of the coast also grows mangrove forests, which are inhabited by many types of crabs, sea cucumbers, and sea snakes. There are so many species of animals that have not been identified in this area. Dr. Thomas Tomascik, a Canadian marine expert, said Kakaban Island is a biological richness paradise in Indonesia. The mystery of how animals and plants are isolated in this lake is one of the objects of great interest to scientists to be revealed. Therefore, this sea deserves to be the object of natural conservation that should be protected and preserved.

The Species of Jelly Fishes at Kakaban Lake

There are several types of jellyfish that live in Lake Kakaban, among others: 

1. Moon or Aurelia Aurita jellyfish that have a diameter of 5 to 50 cm and shaped like a transparent plate. 

2. Cassiopeia Ornata, the most visible jellyfish at the bottom of the lake in an upside position. This jellyfish tentacle is directed toward sunlight so that the symbiotic algae in the tentacles can photosynthesize. The size is between 15 to 20 cm. 

3. Papuan mastigias or jellyfish totol, the most visible jellyfish in the lake. This jellyfish has a diameter of the circle between 1 to 20 cm. 

4. Tripedalia Cystophera, a smaller type of jellyfish. This type is somewhat difficult to find because its shape is smaller than the other three types of jellyfish. The size is a little box and the size of the index finger, between 7 to 10 mm.

Journey to Derawan Islands

The Derawan Islands is an archipelago located in the eastern part of Kalimantan Island and entered into the Berau District. Derawan islands consist of five large islands such as Derawan Island, Maratua Island, Kakaban Island, Sangalaki Island and Mamaki Island.

There are many ways to get to Derawan islands, namely: 

By Land:

For those who are already in Kalimantan can by road already connected although in some places the road is still damaged. 

Route: Palangkaraya -> Banjarmasin -> Balikpapan -> Samarinda -> Tanjung Redeb -> Tanjung Batu -> Derawan Island.

Cost breakdown: 

Banjarmasin-Samarinda (Bus) = Rp. 120,000-150,000 

Samarinda - Tanjung Redeb (Travel sort of Avanza car) = Rp. 275.000-300.000 

Tanjung Redeb - Tanjung Batu (Travel sort of Avanza car) = Rp. 100,000 

Tanjung Batu - Derawan Island (Speedboat) = Rp. 100,000

By Air: 

For by air from the city of origin there are many flights to Balikpapan, then from Balikpapan can be through two ways, namely through Berau or through Tarakan. Both ways have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The passing of Tarakan has the advantage of being cheaper and more flight options than through Berau.

But from Tarakan further sea route to the island Derawan and no regular speedboat or for the public, so have to rent their own. Through Tarakan it is easier for those who leave in groups.

While from Berau easier for its own because there are many public car to go to Tanjung Batu and Speedboat general to Derawan Island.

Some airlines serving Balikpapan flights to Berau and Balikpapan such as Sriwijya Air, Wings Air, Kalstar, Garuda Indonesia. For prices vary depending on season and airline.

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