Dr. Melissa Ilardo

One haenyeo told me that in her youth she was kind of embarrassed to be a haenyeo.

And a lot of it's because, you know, they're exposed to the sun, so they have darker skin than a lot of other women.

And a lot of it's because, you know, they're exposed to the sun, so they have darker skin than a lot of other women. They tend to be very loud because a lot of times they rupture their eardrums from diving. If they don't pressurize correctly, they can have hearing damage. So they're known for being very loud.

And a lot of it's because, you know, they're exposed to the sun, so they have darker skin than a lot of other women. They tend to be very loud because a lot of times they rupture their eardrums from diving. If they don't pressurize correctly, they can have hearing damage. So they're known for being very loud.

And a lot of it's because, you know, they're exposed to the sun, so they have darker skin than a lot of other women. They tend to be very loud because a lot of times they rupture their eardrums from diving. If they don't pressurize correctly, they can have hearing damage. So they're known for being very loud.

They tend to be very loud because a lot of times they rupture their eardrums from diving.

If they don't pressurize correctly, they can have hearing damage.

So they're known for being very loud.

And so I think there was kind of a marginalization early on, but now they're recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage intangible site, essentially. And there's just, I think, tremendous respect for the population now.

And so I think there was kind of a marginalization early on, but now they're recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage intangible site, essentially.

And so I think there was kind of a marginalization early on, but now they're recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage intangible site, essentially. And there's just, I think, tremendous respect for the population now.

And so I think there was kind of a marginalization early on, but now they're recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage intangible site, essentially. And there's just, I think, tremendous respect for the population now.

And there's just, I think, tremendous respect for the population now.

They are diving for all kinds of things. They're diving for sea urchin, abalone. They also harvest seaweed. Um, I've seen them pull up octopus, uh, they'll spear an octopus, um, and they, and they do it in a very interesting kind of controlled way. Like they're really guardians of their marine environment, um, where they don't, they make sure that they don't overfish things.

They are diving for all kinds of things. They're diving for sea urchin, abalone. They also harvest seaweed. Um, I've seen them pull up octopus, uh, they'll spear an octopus, um, and they, and they do it in a very interesting kind of controlled way. Like they're really guardians of their marine environment, um, where they don't, they make sure that they don't overfish things.

They are diving for all kinds of things. They're diving for sea urchin, abalone. They also harvest seaweed. Um, I've seen them pull up octopus, uh, they'll spear an octopus, um, and they, and they do it in a very interesting kind of controlled way. Like they're really guardians of their marine environment, um, where they don't, they make sure that they don't overfish things.

They are diving for all kinds of things.

They're diving for sea urchin, abalone.

They also harvest seaweed.

Um, I've seen them pull up octopus, uh, they'll spear an octopus, um, and they, and they do it in a very interesting kind of controlled way.