Incredible lake where you can float through millions of jellyfish - and they don't sting

Imagine a place so serene, it feels like you're suspended in time and all you can see is the stunning colour and variety of planet earth.

Snorkelling in this lake in a Pacific paradise may be the closest you can get to this without actually breaking the law.

Jellyfish Lake in Palau, near Indonesia, is filled with thousands - perhaps millions - of ethereal jellyfish which are completely safe to swim through.

Dive inches below the marine lake on Eil Malk Island and you'll be hit by clouds of the beautiful alien creatures which swim in peace thanks to nature providing the perfect storm for them to thrive.

Millions of jellyfish swarm the waters of this lake in Eil Malk Island, Palau (Getty Images)

Some 12,000 years ago, rising post-Ice Age sea levels flooded the inlet, bringing thousands of jellies with it. Instead of being washed back out, the creatures were trapped in the lake.

Without any natural predators and left free to feed on algae, the jellyfish have multiplied to astronomical numbers. Today, the lake is filled with golden and moon species of jelly.

Jellyfish dominate the lake after marine water spilled over into the island following the Ice Age (Getty Images)

During the day, the jellies migrate from the west to the east side of the lake which gets more sun, providing perfect conditions for algae.

While they do have stingers, they're far too small to be felt by humans meaning anyone can swim through them without worrying about a nasty shock.

Would you be brave enough to swim among the hundreds of thousands of jellies in Palau? (Getty Images)

And swim you can - snorkelling is welcome in the lake.

Scuba diving is prohibited, however. This is due to the lake's water having two different levels, with the deeper stratosphere containing dangerous levels of hydrogen sulphide 20 metres down.

Sadly, Jellyfish Lake's population is declining and at risk - while the numbers peaked at 30 million in 2007, the Coral Reef Research Foundation estimated in 2016 this was now more likely around 600,000.

Golden jellyfish swimming in the lake in Palau (Getty Images/Stocktrek Images)

The exact reason for the fall in numbers is uncertain, although scientists fear it could be connected to climate change.

For this reason, the lake was closed to snorkellers and swimmers the following year for two years, helping to boost their numbers.

It re-opened in 2019 after scientists saw a successful rise in their population once again.

Research biologists told CNN they were praying for normal weather conditions and that they were "optimistic" about the size of the swarm continuing to rise.