Soft coral
Soft Coral · Flower of the sea
Colonies of anthozoans (invertebrates) — species identification varies; avoid asserting individual scientific names
Colonies of anthozoans that sway in the current with a soft skeleton. A signature of Korean diving, best represented by the soft coral colonies in the waters off Seogwipo, Jeju.
Soft coral and hard coral
Colonies that sway in the current with a soft skeleton. Called the ‘flower of the sea’.
Corals with a hard calcareous skeleton. Contrasted with soft coral, distributed at places like Seopseom, Jeju.
Year-round colonies drawn by the warm current
Seogwipo, Jeju lies within the influence of the Tsushima Warm Current, where soft coral colonies flourish and can be observed year-round, with visibility best in autumn (September–November). They are also distributed at Geomundo in the South Sea and elsewhere.
Where to meet soft coral
The designated area covers the Seogwipo waters (around Beomseom, Munseom, Seopseom, Saeseom and Jigwido) and the Songaksan area. Many soft corals such as the bamsuji-maendeurami and geombulgeun-suji-maendeurami are designated as protected marine species (21 coral species) by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, so underwater contact and collection are prohibited.
- The ~2m max at Beomseom ‘Gichabawi’ is 🟡 aggregated — the size is not asserted.
- Geomundo soft coral records are mixed ✅/🟡 — see each site's notes for per-site primary sources.
Korea's flower of the sea,
meet it in person
Meet Korea's soft coral.