The Haenyeo women who dive deep into the East China Sea to harvest sea urchins and shellfish spend the most time underwater of any humans ever studied — one to five hours a day, researchers report ...

Researchers tracked the natural diving behavior and physiology of seven Haenyeo, aged 62 to 80, as they harvested sea urchins. Researchers used an instrument designed to measure the behavior and ...

A group of women on South Korea's largest island, Jeju, follow a unique tradition to put food on the table: They freedive to depths of nearly 33 feet (10 meters) without using any special equipment.

First, the team assessed physiological traits related to diving in women from three populations: Haenyeo in Jeju, non-Haenyeo in Jeju, and non-Haenyeo from mainland South Korea. The researchers ...

Generations of Haenyeo have dived to harvest food in freezing waters—and their DNA reflects it. By Lauren Leffer Published May 2, 2025 11:00 AM EDT Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 ...