The Last Mermaids of Korea

The phenomenally resilient sea women of Marado Island, at the southernmost tip of South Korea, are like no one else on the planet. Six women aged in their 40s, 60s, 80s and 90s have lately been joined by a solitary young male diver, Min-Jong. Most of the women are well beyond 60. They may stumble walking on land, but underwater, they are transformed into graceful swimmers who haul in twice their bodyweight in seafood every day. These are Korea’s traditional Haenyeo: female divers who hold their breath for more than two minutes to depths of up to 20 meters. They make their livelihood combing the seabed for culinary treasures for restaurants in Korea and Japan: kelp, sea cucumbers, conchs, and, most prized of all, abalone.