Jeju Island: New7Wonders of Nature

Tweet

I personally thought that I had NEVER heard of Jeju Island, which was chosen as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, after receiving “hundreds of millions of votes.” So, I had to find out more about this intriguing island, which lies in the Korea Strait and receives TEN MILLION visitors annually. I DO remember seeing a documentary a few years ago, about Haenyeo, or “sea women,” who are skilled at free diving, without the aid of scuba gear. I don’t remember if this documentary was about the women on Jeju Island, but probably it was. At one time, during the 60s, a fair percentage of the women on this island were free divers and they provided a substantial income for the island of Jeju. Today, there are still many of these women, but the majority of them are over 60 years old. They dive for abalone, conches and other marine products, spending all day deep-water diving, even in cold weather. Brrrrr! This island hosts many conferences, and international meetings and events. Jeju has a temperate climate, with beautiful beaches and this makes it a popular tourist destination. It certainly sounds like a great place to visit. And I’m happy to know more about this island, since it is has reached the status of one of the 7 Wonders of Nature. Have you heard of this island? Have you ever been there? I have been swimming in the East China Sea when I lived in Okinawa. It’s where I learned to water ski. I wonder how close I was to this island. I will have to look on a map.