How to Spot Dolphins in Jeju

Around 120 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins live in Jeju. After they appeared as a theme in a drama last year, more people have become interested in Jeju’s dolphins.

In particular, meeting dolphins is seen as a symbol of good luck, and more and more travelers coming to Jeju are hoping to spot them at least once. 

Where should you go to see dolphins?

Jeju’s Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins roam across waters all around the island. Among those areas, you’re most likely to encounter them along Noeulhaean-ro, which stretches from Daejeong-eup to Hangyeong-myeon. Because these highly social dolphins live in pods of about 10–20, once you find them, you can often see many at once—an unforgettable sight.

It may seem like you need to board a tour boat to see them, but Jeju dolphins can easily be spotted with the naked eye from the coastline.

As a designated marine protected species, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are not allowed to be approached within 50M by tour boats. However, many operators fail to follow this rule, disrupting the dolphins’ rest and feeding. You can even find many dolphins injured by boat propellers. 

I really want you to know that you don’t have to take a tour boat just to see Jeju’s dolphins.

Travel

Yeongnak-ri Dolphin Spot3783-3, Mureung-ri, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si

One of Jeju’s 대표 dolphin-watching spots. This area is known for frequent sightings of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins that inhabit Jeju’s coastal waters, drawing many travelers. The blue sea and beautiful coastal scenery 펼쳐지는 along Noeulhaean-ro also make it popular for drives and seaside walks. In the morning and around sunset, you have a relatively high chance of seeing dolphins leap above the surface, and if you’re lucky you may even witness a pod swimming together. A 대표 natural attraction in western Jeju where you can experience special moments gifted by Jeju’s nature.

플레이스 보기

For one of the best dolphin-watching spots, I recommend Yeongnak-ri Breakwater. There are many fish farms in the area, and a lot of discharge water flows into the sea. As a result, the waters here are rich in food, drawing in birds and dolphins often. It’s a frequent sighting area—successful about 8 times out of 10—so I highly recommend stopping by and trying your luck at meeting Jeju’s dolphins.