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These female divers spend more time underwater than any other humans

The way Korea’s Haenyeo divers push human physiology to extremes is surprising

Image of Haenyeo divers entering the water of Jeju Island

Female divers in Jeju Island in South Korea, known as Haenyeo, forage for food beneath the waves for two to 10 hours a day. They spend the most time underwater of any humans ever studied, rivaling some marine mammals.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

By Brianna Randall

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

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 August 18 in Current Biology.