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Diving in Jeju Island

The volcanic island of Jeju sits like a gem in the South Sea of Korea and is the southernmost area of South Korea. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the largest island in Korea and an important academic, cultural, tourist, and ecological region. Jeju Island is home to the best diving in South Korea and home to the famous Haenyeo - female divers of Jeju Island known for harvesting from the ocean since approximately 434 AD. You can find the best dive sites in South Korea here at the parks of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Cave. Jeju Island diving boasts a myriad of colorful soft corals covering the rocky substrate, found in all shades of pink, yellow, green, and blue. There is also a wide variety of marine life to encounter, including many vibrant nudibranch species. It is easy to find a dive center in Jeju as there are many to choose from, very close to the port. Most Jeju diving sites are a short distance from the main town of Seogwipo. The best time to dive in South Korea is late summer to autumn when water and air temperatures are at their warmest.

Wildlife Encounters in Jeju Island

Jeju Island diving offers various marine life encounters amongst the vibrantly colored soft corals covering this area’s rocky substrate. You will most likely see schools of pempheris, octopus, ornately colored nudibranchs, frogfish, damselfish, stingrays, boxfish, and Nomura’s jellyfish, just to name a few. Jeju divers can also see larger marine life such as sea turtles, dolphins, and squid. In addition to the fantastic rocky reef diving in Jeju, you can explore a small wreck covered with soft coral and nearby commercial submarines.