The Haenyeo of Jeju

Haenyeo dive without tanks, holding a breath for a minute or two at a time, going down for abalone, conch, sea urchin and seaweed, and they surface with a whistling exhale called sumbisori that carries a long way over the water. They work in groups from a shore base, with an orange float to rest on and a net slung beneath it, in a rhythm set by tides rather than by clocks. The work passed from mother to daughter and gave island women an income of their own, unusual in old Korea. Most divers now are elderly and the numbers keep falling. The culture is listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage.

What you actually see

• The sumbisori - the whistled breath on surfacing, audible from the shore.
• The tewak - the orange float and net each diver works from.
• The bulteok - the low stone shelters where divers change and light a fire.
• The haenyeo museum - tools, old wetsuits and film of the previous generation at work.

When to go

Divers work most of the year, cold water included, but they are easiest to see between spring and autumn on calm mornings at low tide along the eastern and southern coasts. Scheduled demonstrations near Seongsan run to a posted timetable. The museum at Hado opens daily except Mondays. Skip days with a wind warning, when nobody goes in.

Honest expectations

You are watching people work, not a show, and it is easy to be intrusive with a camera. Sightings are not guaranteed and the scheduled demonstrations are brief. The shellfish sold at the shore is expensive and usually eaten raw at plain stalls, which does not suit everyone. The museum is thorough but dry, and the coast road really needs a car.

Nearby

Seongsan Ilchulbong and the eastern coast road are close, and Udo island is a short ferry away.