Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elliemk]

I would love to do some whale watching while I am here. I live in Ulsan and am wondering whether you can see them from here or whether you have to go to Busan or some other place. Can you tell me the best times of year and places to watch them, please? Thanks.

[elliemk]

Bumping - help anyone????

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

Unfortunately, the best way you're probably going to get to see whales erhm, live anyway, in this country, is by asking for a lift to the captain of a boat before it goes out to hunt them.

Whale meat is a delicacy in this country. I'd like to say it's a hang-over from the Japanese imperialist days, but really the only relevance that line of thought has it that whale meat restaurants are most common in port cities such as Ulsan and Busan, which is also where a lot of Japanese were imported to basically infiltrate the local populations in the colonial days. Having said that, it is available all around the country, even if it may not always be available in every fresh fish restaurant every day.

Wish I could be of more help. It's a great idea, and it'd be nice to get those Korean tourism organisation that pander to foreigners to organise a trip, and see what the response is. Who knows, if enough Koreans go along too, it may even start off a new tourist venture for the country, which could have positive benefits for them whales, too.

[elliemk]

Ah, that is so sad. I know so many whales are over-hunted here and elsewhere. Thanks for you post.