Endangered Class II 'Keunbadasa-ja' Spotted on Sinan Gageodo Island After 100 Years

In Gageodo, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, a Steller sea lion, classified as an endangered species II, was observed for the first time in 100 years since the Japanese colonial period.

According to Sinan-gun on the 25th, on the 23rd, a resident returning from fishing first spotted a single Steller sea lion resting on the rocky shore of Noksom, the baseline of territorial waters.

An endangered Steller sea lion observed near Noksom Island, close to Gageodo Island in Shinan, a marine ecosystem protection area. [Photo by Shinan-gun]

The Steller sea lion is a type of sea lion inhabiting the northern Pacific Ocean, including the Siberian coast, Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Bering Sea, with males weighing over 1 ton.

They are known to dive up to 110 to 130 meters and swim underwater at speeds of 25 to 30 km/h. Their main diet consists of fish such as pollock and saury, as well as shrimp, clams, and conchs.

Currently, there is no known colony of Steller sea lions in Korea, but they are very rarely observed in the waters around the East Coast, Ulleungdo, Dokdo, and Jeju Island, and are designated as endangered wildlife species II.

In the past, about 120 individuals inhabited Guguldo and Gaerindo, subsidiary islands of Gageodo in Sinan during the 1920s, but they disappeared after being overhunted by Japan during the Japanese colonial period.

Park Woo-ryang, the mayor of Sinan-gun, stated, “The waters around Gageodo, the southwesternmost point of the country, are designated and managed as a ‘Marine Ecosystem Protection Area’ and are a clean area rich in fishery resources.” He added, “We will promote detailed monitoring to understand the habitat status of the Steller sea lion.”

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