Scuba Diving on Jeju Island

 

Saturday, July 28, 07 Little Munson, Jeju Island.
I've gone diving with Big Blue 33 the only foreign operated dive shop in Korea. Unsurprisingly, it's owned and run by a German(they do get around...:o) I've never been to a decent dive spot without at least one German dive shop. Ralf has been living on Jeju island for 12 years and run the scuba shop for the last six. The equipment is in great condition though some of the wetsuits are a bit tatty, which can be expected in a rocky place like this volcanic island. The water is around 23C which called for some thick neoprene with hood.
We went for two dives on Little Munson Island which is nothing but a rock pinnacle sticking out of the Sea of Japan about 15 minutes beat ride from the harbour. Next to it is a larger lush green island Big Munson with too steep walls for landing. The barren, craggy rock that is Little Munson supports a forest of lovely pink, purple and yellow soft corals. The shallow shallow side gently slopes down and the dive averaged 18 meters. This area is a nursery with schools of small fish playing hide and seek among the kelp. We found some brightly colored Nudibranchs too and several orange Seastars. An other experienced diver and I went of around the island on the second dive. We drifted on some nice current part of the way, enjoying the steep wall thickly covered by orange/yellow soft coral. We saw a nice big Anemone with a couple of happy clown fish and a giant jellyfish that swam by us on the first time, now being eating by a couple of wrasses. I was surprised to sea so many colorful tropical fish species although I knew that the warm current brings all kinds of creatures up this far North. Ralf said that diving in the winter here is very different. The kelp grows into a Forest and there are a different set of animals here.
The entry/exit point is roped up to make things easier but this site is not for the unfit. getting out of the water is a hard work, climbing onto steep, sharp rock. The season was in full swing which means there were around 30 more Korean divers in their flashy gear and hoods with bunny ears or devil horns...Busy, lively dive spot with no respite from the heat.
Overall the experience was worth the effort. Once! It was the most expensive diving I've ever done. ($85 for two dived with equipment) I'm not certain if the price is fully justified as the service was not great and the promised lunch consisted of a few kimbaps (cheap, rice rolls and some water.) Plus we had to load the tanks and gear on a van to the boat then onto the rock and the same back. Something the divers don't have to do in most places as the dive shops have local crews for this job. I give the experience 6/10. If this didn't put you off here is the dive shop's number:Phone: 064 - 733 17 33 I'd go with Big Blue 33 again because the others looked a lot worse.