Secrets of the Haenyeo divers

A new analysis of a group of all-women extreme divers off the coast of Korea has uncovered genetic differences that could help them survive the intense physiological stresses of free-diving—and could ultimately lead to better treatments for blood pressure disorders.

The researchers worked with the Haenyeo: women who have spent their whole lives diving in the waters off Jeju Island, 50 miles south of mainland South Korea. They free-dive up to 60 feet below the surface to harvest seaweed, abalone and other food items from the seafloor, spending hours a day in the water all year round. For hundreds of years, Haenyeo diving was a staple of Jeju’s economy and culture, although the practice is now waning. Today, most divers are in their 60s and 70s.

“They’re absolutely extraordinary women,” said Melissa Ilardo, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at University of Utah Health and the senior author on the study published Friday in Cell Reports. “Every day, they head out and get in the water, and that’s where they work all day. I saw women over 80 diving off a boat before it even stopped moving.” 

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