Their profession is both dangerous and difficult. They inherit it from their mothers. By diving many times to depths of up to 30 meters, divers will get the seafood from the bottom and, thanks to this, support their families.
Women of the sea
In Korea, professional divers are called "henyo", which means "women of the sea". Their history goes back to the Middle Ages. But if half a century ago, the work of divers was considered well paid and promising, then with the development of deep-sea technology, women's earnings became less and less. Naturally, they could not compete with underwater robots controlled by an operator from a boat. Equipped with powerful light sources, television cameras and mechanical arms, the devices successfully replaced the divers, whose number was steadily decreasing. Numerous scuba divers also took away earnings from Henyo.
Nevertheless, several hundred brave Korean women in those regions where technological progress has not yet come, continue to fish for sea, since they have no other opportunity to earn money.
The first diving lessons are given to girls by their mothers. They acquaint them with the technique of holding their breath, a system of special exercises, teach them how to avoid encounters with dangerous inhabitants of the underwater depths.
After months of training, divers are gradually drawn into professional work, which becomes a good financial support for the family.
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During a normal dive, henyo spends from one to two minutes under water, and her working day lasts 4-5 hours - the body simply cannot withstand a longer stay under water.
To feed the family
The first mentions of divers in Korean chronicles date back to the 17th century. Then they were obliged to give a significant part of the shellfish and other seafood collected at the bottom to the authorities as a kind of rent. The remaining catch of the diver was either left with the family or sold in local markets.
With the establishment of the colonial system, divers were freed from quitrent, and their incomes increased significantly. The Japanese colonialists enjoyed eating the seafood with pleasure and were willing to pay quite well for them. The demand ensured an influx of new talent into the ranks of divers who satisfied the most sophisticated customer needs.
The most skillful divers were considered to be from the Korean island of Jeju. Every day, they were forced to dive into the depths of the sea by the fact that fathers and husbands went to the mainland in search of work, and the fair sex had to take the matter of providing the family with food.
Underwater fishing reached its peak in the middle of the 20th century, when the number of divers on the island reached 25 thousand (with a population of just over 600 thousand people). Rich Japanese merchants regularly visited it, who bought seafood in bulk and made good money on it in Japan.
In the 1970s, seafood production declined, and most "women of the sea" had to change their profession. Nowadays, their number does not exceed two hundred. Numerous tourists from different countries love to watch their dives, ready to pay for the spectacle. Therefore, enterprising young people from the locals organize tourist tours, the highlight of which are the divers of haenyo.
Tattoo for intimidation
There are also divers on the Japanese islands. There they are called "ama" ("man of the sea"). Algae, molluscs, certain types of fish and pearls are the prey of brave women. The first written records of Japanese divers date back to the 3rd century. Even then, brave and dexterous women by hard and dangerous work improved the material condition of their families. To scare off sea predators, the Ama put special tattoos on their bodies. By them it was possible to immediately identify the diver. It was believed that due to subcutaneous fat, women can stay in cool water much longer than men. In addition, with special trainings, they achieved breath holding for several minutes, which made it possible to work calmly on the seabed.
Ama have long been considered respected members of society. Largely due to the fact that their earnings exceeded (and sometimes several times) the earnings of men. The ama's status was so high that they were allowed to choose their own husbands.
Until the middle of the 20th century, amas dived into the sea without special equipment. Many toilers of the sea dived naked according to a long tradition, and a narrow loincloth was considered a kind of amulet against the attack of sharks, moray eels and other sea predators.
A special, sharply sharpened knife, which the ama mastered masterly, served as a working tool for opening the shells of mollusks.
15 seconds to two minutes
Modern Japanese divers use special protective suits, and in some regions of the country they use fins and masks. Diving methods are different for divers - depending on the region where they live.
The first method (called koizodo) is to dive from the shore to a depth of no more than five meters. The woman drags a float with a net into which she places her prey. The dive time is 15 to 20 seconds. This method is typical for beginner divers who have not yet mastered the technique of prolonged breath holding.
The second method (nakaizodo) is when a group of divers dives from a boat. The sailor tracks the dive, accepts seafood and insures the women. In case of danger, he is always ready to help. The immersion time reaches 40 seconds, which indicates the experience and good professional training of the ama.
The third method (oidzodo) is available only to experienced divers who have fully mastered the technique of holding the breath. They operate from a boat or boat at depths of up to 30 meters and can stay under water for even more than two minutes. When immersed, ballasts are used (as a rule, this is a set of lead bars, with a total weight of 20 kilograms).
This method of diving saves oxygen, and special blocks are used to lift the ama. Their assistant on the boat helps to reduce the ascent time and literally pulls the girls with the catch to the surface.
Small world of ama girls
For a long time, ama were the main pearl miners in Japan, but in the middle of the 20th century, pearls began to be grown in the country artificially - on special farms, and prices for them decreased.
But the ama did not lose heart and concentrated on collecting seaweed, from which agar-agar is made, as well as catching shellfish, octopuses, turbinids, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, which the Japanese consider to be delicacies.
Some divers left their profession, today they can be counted on one hand. They have the status of individual entrepreneurs and pay an annual tax.
The famous French diver Jacques Mayol (1927-2001), who for the first time in the world reached a depth of 100 meters while holding his breath, admired the brave ama divers and gave them a whole chapter in his book "Dolphin Man". It begins with these words:
“Today, a small world of divers is scattered along the coast of Japan, whose traditional and only occupation is the underwater collection of oysters, shells, sea snakes and algae, intended for the pearl industry, food and various other uses. These divers are called ama. For a European, these words give off something exotic and melodic. For me, who was born in the Far East, lived there until the age of 12 and constantly returning there (especially to Japan) in adulthood, this term is doubly close, I take it completely at home. The governess who was engaged in China with the children of Europeans, and there were several of them in our house, are called ah-mah. In addition, on the beaches of Japan, children of ama divers were often my playmates. Although the word ama is applied to both male and female divers, it causesrather, the image of a woman. The thought of a woman diving, especially a naked one, was always seductive and poetic. It is impossible not to remember the sirens. During my recent visits to Japan, I have been in the company of ama many times and dived with many of them. They are adorable, although not necessarily beautiful. I will never forget their surprise visit in flimsy colorful boats during my attempt to dive 75 meters at Lake Futo, on the Izu Peninsula, south of Tokyo in 1970. "I will never forget their surprise visit in flimsy colorful boats during my attempt to dive 75 meters at Lake Futo, on the Izu Peninsula, south of Tokyo in 1970. "I will never forget their surprise visit in flimsy colorful boats during my attempt to dive 75 meters at Lake Futo, on the Izu Peninsula, south of Tokyo in 1970."
Some tourists visiting Japan find it necessary to visit the island of Hekura, known for its skilled divers.
One of them - Minori Ishima - says: - My experience as a diver is 15 years. During this time, I had to find myself in rather difficult situations, but, fortunately, I kept in good shape and health. However, the years take their toll, and soon I plan to change my profession and start growing rice …
For inquisitive visitors to the Land of the Rising Sun, local travel agencies arrange regular tours. Guests take pictures of the brave girls with pleasure.
British journalist John Leeds called modern Japanese divers amazing representatives of the romantic profession, which miraculously survived to this day.
Vladimir BARSOV