South Korean Shellfish Divers

Andy W Langton/Age International

Ja Kang Song, 71, and Ja Hyun Su, 72, dive for shellfish. In South Korea, 45% of the diving women of Jeju are aged over 70. Routinely diving to depths of 20 metres and staying under for an average of two to three minutes, the pressure on the body takes its toll and, as with many others, burst eardrums have left Ja Hyun Su deaf. Each season, between seven and 10 women die diving the waters around Jeju Island.

This photo won in the amateur category in the Age International 2016 photographic competition.

Via The Guardian