/ Eric Schudiske /

Jellyfish Lake – Ongeim’l Tketau GC11A56 GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – May 28, 2012

Up close and personal (Photo Credit:FradoMedia)

If you dare, this Geocache of the Week takes you underwater and into the midst of thousands of jellyfish. Jellyfish Lake (GC11A56) or “Ongeim’l Tketau”  as it is called in the local language of Palauan, is one of approximately 70 marine lakes scattered throughout the southern portion of the main island of Palau.

This difficulty five, terrain five EarthCache was created by SurrenderTheBooty in March of 2007. Since then, this unique and rare lake has been visited and appreciated by geocachers all over the world.

In order the log a smiley on this EarthCache, adventurers must travel to the site and complete two requirements. There’s no container to discover. Instead, geocachers discover the geological forces that created this unique location. They must email SurrenderTheBooty with a picture taken at either the arrival dock or the floating dock on the lake, as well as the GPS elevation readings at sea level, on top of the ridge, and at lake level.

Swimming with Jellyfish

The lake is only accessible by boat and visitors have to climb a ridge to get to the golden jellyfish. The cache page provides a comprehensive overview of Palau’s Jellyfish Lake formation over the course of thousands of years. It also details what visitors can expect when they arrive at Ongeim’l Tketau.

One log reads, “Swimming in the Jellyfish Lake is a fantastic experience! The jellyfish are so fragile, so beautiful, … my English is not good enough to describe my feelings. Large jellyfish have a slow frequency when moving, smaller ones have a higher frequency.  Thanks to SurrenderTheBooty for this amazing experience.”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you’ d like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

Jellyfish Lake Floating Dock
/ Adela B /

Announcing the April Featured Geocacher of the Month

Many people recognize April’s Featured Geocacher of the Month for their hospitality and ability to host and organize numerous geocaching gatherings. Congratulations to Milosheart for being named April’s featured Geocacher of the Month!

Lackeys were greatly impressed with the tight number of votes that pushed this power couple to take the lead. Many acknowledged that Milosheart is no stranger when it comes to the success of geocaching in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. 

April Featured Geocachers of the Month, Milosheart

As one geocacher casting a vote put it, “the fun we have had is due to their laid back but encouraging way of introducing people to the sport.  They have held social gatherings as well educational events at their house where all are invited and made to feel at home. They have a lot of experience and knowledge to share and an easy way of going about it.  They are excellent organizers as shown by the overwhelming success of this year’s contest and banquet.  New people are joining the Fredericton club weekly (if not daily) due to their leadership.  I guess what I am trying to say is: They are excellent ambassadors of the sport.”

Milosheart will receive a collector’s edition Featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and certificate acknowledging their contributions signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com.

Thank you to the fellow April nominees and all those who supported them. Those nominees not chosen as the featured Geocacher of the Month receive a gift of appreciation from Groundspeak. See a list of all the featured Geocachers of the Month here.

The geocaching community is encouraged to re-nominate those who have yet to be honored as featured Geocacher of the Month.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@groundspeak.com. 

Featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin

Every nomination must meet the following requirements: Please include your name, the name of your nominee, their username, at least one picture of the nominee and description (in 500 or fewer words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month. Please inform your nominee that you’ve submitted them for the award. Nominations for the May featured Geocacher of the Month must be received by June 8th.

Once we have received all of the nominations, we will choose the top candidates and post them on the Latitude 47 blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so we might learn from each other.

 
/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Mailer – May 23, 2012

Mega-Events — A new MEGA Benefit

Commencing June 1st, Geocaching.com is adding a new benefit for Mega-Events. A Mega-Event is a geocaching event that brings at least 500 geocachers together at one time. It’s the ultimate geocaching gathering.

At Geocaching.com, we recognize that fundraising is an important part of hosting a Mega-Event and we want to help. We know that some of the best fundraisers involve official Mega-Event trackable Geocoins and trackable t-shirts. Beginning June 1, 2012, Mega-Events sponsored by Geocaching.com will receive free Geocaching.com tracking codes for use on the official Mega-Event merchandise. Sponsored Mega-Events will also receive a free tracking code icon and many other exclusive benefits. Some restrictions apply.

Check out this Help Center article for details and requirements for free Geocaching.com Mega-Event Sponsorship.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Babies, Puppies, and Kids Love Geocaching

You know who loves geocaching? Babies. And puppies. And kids. And Abraham Lincoln. And the whole wide world.

See for yourself:

[vsw id=”2fDKdMLMvnY” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

Now isn’t that cute?

Subscribe to the official Geocaching.com YouTubechannel to be one of the first to see new videos about the evolving world of geocaching. Watch the more than 50 videos produced by Geocaching.com on our video page.

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

2012 World Wide Flash Mob Approaching

WWFM Event in 2011

It’s 15 minutes of fun, frivolity, and community creation that many geocachers anticipate each year. The 9th geocaching World Wide Flash Mob (WWFM) is approaching in just over two weeks. This year, on June 9, more than 200 WWFM events are already planned in 25 countries. More events are expected.

According to the creators of the WWFM, Sonny and Sandy of the Podcacher Podcast, a WWFM is, “… meant to be a fun ‘opposite’ of a Mega-Event. [It’s] all the cool aspects of a geocaching event, crammed into 15 minutes of excitement. An added dimension is represented by the letters “WW” – World Wide. These events occur across the planet on the same day at (mostly) the same time! These caching events are intended to bring geocachers together in a creative way, as well as introduce others (newbies) to the hobby.”

A WWFM Event in 2011

A WWFM event usually involves geocachers quietly gathering. They pretend they don’t know each other. When the chosen time arrives, geocachers perform prearranged tasks like pillow fighting, bubble blowing, or flying paper airplanes. All the geocachers sign the logbook, then after 15 minutes, they quickly leave. Many geocachers meet up later to go geocaching together.

At least 10,000 geocachers are expected to attend WWFM IX events for the on June 9, 2012. Find an event near you by exploring the WWFM IX Bookmark list. If you want to organize an event, all WWFM events need to be submitted at least two weeks before June 9.

Courtesy: Podcacher Podcast

If you’re attending an event, Sonny and Sandy say the advice is easy.

1) Arrive early

2) Act like a muggle before the event starts (don’t congregate with other geocachers)

3) Enjoy the fun spirit of the WWFM

4) At the end of 15 minutes, leave without a trace

5) Plan to meet up with other geocachers later to spend a fun day caching

Watch this blog for WWFM IX updates. Are you planning on hosting or attending a WWFM event?