Experts point to overtourism as baby dolphin deaths rise in Jeju

Excessive tourism is killing dolphins off the coasts of Jeju Island, according to marine scientists and environmental activists.

On June 1, off the coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, a mother Jeju Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin lifts her dead calf to the surface, hoping it would breathe. [JEJU NATIONAL UNIVERSITY DOLPHIN RESEARCH TEAM]

Excessive tourism is killing dolphins off the coasts of Jeju Island, according to marine scientists and environmental activists.

A dolphin research team helmed by Kim Byung-yeob, a professor of Ocean Science at Jeju National University, discovered that 10 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins died just this year alone. Dolphin calf deaths around Jeju typically totaled one a year at the most until 2022.

The dolphins are categorized as endangered, with a population of a mere 120. A female dolphin has 12-month pregnancy period and has no other offspring for two years. Ten calf deaths in one year imply that the baby dolphins died almost instantly after birth.

Recent dolphin sightings included mother dolphins lifting their dead calves to the surface.

"When a mother dolphin gives birth for the first time, she helps the calf breathe by lifting it to the surface, and they are doing the same thing with the dead calves,” said Kim. "The way the mother dolphin refuses any human approach and continues to lift the calf until it decomposes seems as if she's protesting against someone, which leaves me feeling troubled."

On June 1, off the coast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, a mother Jeju Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin lifts her dead calf to the surface, hoping it would breathe. [JEJU NATIONAL UNIVERSITY DOLPHIN RESEARCH TEAM]

The deaths of these dolphins follow the rise in popularity of the 2022 ENA drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” in which the protagonist expresses a fondness for the animal. Marine biologists and activists speculate that fans of the drama flocked to Jeju to see the animals, which also made competition among tourist vessels fiercer.

Marine environmental group Hotpink Dolphins released a video on May 4 showing three tourist vessels pursuing groups of dolphins off the shores of Jeju.

"When tourist boats appear at intervals of 10 to 20 meters (32.8 to 65.6 feet) and approach the dolphins as if in competition, it causes them to feel a great sense of fear as if they are surrounded by predators," Kim said.

He explained that the noise from multiple boats makes the dolphins feel as though predators are forming a giant wall closing in on them.

Dolphins are not too hard to see in the sea around Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, in Jeju. [YONHAP]

According to a policy paper put together on Sept. 26 by the Marine Animal Research and Conservation (MARC) and the Jeju branch of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, the dolphins are cornered into shallower reefs when tourist ships approach them.

MARC CEO Jang Soo-jin said this behavior is similar to those that the dolphins show when sharks or other predators surround them.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced last year that a fine of 2 million won ($1,470) would be imposed for violations of tourism guidelines, such as approaching within 50 meters of the dolphins. However, dolphin protection organizations argue that enforcement is difficult and the measure is ineffective.

Aside from tourism, there are concerns about the development of wind turbines harming dolphins. While there is no research directly correlating the development of the turbines with the loss of dolphin habitats, a 2015 report by the National Institute of Fisheries Science indicated that dolphins have not been found in areas near the turbines since they were built in 2012.

Tamra offshore wind farm on Jeju Island, which is Korea's first commercially operated offshore wind power plant [KOREA SOUT-EAST POWER]

In the United States, research on the adverse effects of construction noise during the establishment of wind farms and the noise generated by turbine operations afterward on whales is being reflected in policy.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management implement strict protective measures. If marine mammals are found in areas where offshore wind farms are planned, turbine installation is restricted in those designated zones. During construction, if marine mammals or turtles are spotted in the project area, work must stop for a certain period.

A wind turbine project is underway in the dolphin habitat near Gujwa-eup, Jeju Island, with construction slated to begin in 2026 and finish by 2028.

“We are conducting wind power projects through environmental impact assessments and adopting technologies to reduce noise issues, seeking ways to achieve carbon neutrality while preserving the marine environment," said a representative from the fisheries ministry.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]