Korean Haenyeo — Jeju Island Free Diver
749.00 د.إ
A Jeju haenyeo diver emerging from the sea — the traditional white wet suit, the tewak float beside her, sea urchins and abalone in her net bag after a breath-hold dive to 15 metres in the Jeju Island coastal waters.
Description
The haenyeo of Jeju Island — women divers who harvest abalone, sea urchins, and other sea creatures by breath-hold diving, sometimes to depths of 20 metres — are a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage and one of the most documented working communities in East Asian documentary photography. This portrait was made at the Udo Island diving grounds where the haenyeo cooperative maintains its traditional collective diving practice: the diver has surfaced after a dive of approximately 2 minutes and 15 metres depth, her net bag visible in the water beside her with the harvest of the dive. The orange tewak float — the buoy that marks her position on the surface — is tied to her waist. Shot from a position on the rocky shore with a 70-200mm telephoto at 1/500 second, the wave action around the surfacing diver adds visual dynamism.
