View allAll Photos Tagged divers
The haenyo, literally meaning "sea women", are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju. They are representative of the matriarchal family structure of Jeju.
Until the 19th century, diving was mostly done by men. The job became unprofitable for men since they had to pay heavy taxes, unlike women who did not. Women took over the diving (which was considered the lowest of jobs) and, because of the great dependence on sea products in most places on Jeju, became the main breadwinners. It could also be said that women simply were more adapted for the job, with their bodies keeping them warmer and being more suited to swimming than a male - with more bodyfat and a lack of protruding external genitalia. With that, they often became "the head" of their family.
Haenyo are skilled divers who are known to be able to hold their breath for more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters. The divers must also contend with other dangers such as jelly fish and sharks.
Starting from the late 1970s, exports of sea products to Japan such as abalone and conch have made the sea women richer than ever, allowing them to fix their houses, build new ones in Jeju City and send their daughters to college. However, there is a threat to the haenyo's continued success: with their daughters choosing to work in the island's tourism industry or in the big cities, the haenyo will most likely disappear. While in 1950 there were as many as 30,000 haenyo on the island, in 2003 there were only 5,650 sea women registered as divers, of whom 85% were over 50 years old. With the number of sea women declining and with tourism giving Jeju men more opportunities, it is unclear what will happen to their daughters' status in their communities and home, though it is unlikely that the matriarchal family structures will continue to survive.
The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level. Originally called the Gay Olympics, it was started in San Francisco in 1982, as the brainchild of Tom Waddell, whose goals were to promote the spirit of inclusion and participation, as well as the pursuit of personal growth in a sporting event. It retains many similarities with the Olympics, including the Gay Games flame which is lit at the opening ceremony.
The Gay Games is open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation. There are no qualifying standards to compete in the Gay Games. It brings together people from all over the world, many from countries where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden.
The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) is the sanctioning body of the Gay Games. From its statement of concept and purpose:
The purpose of the Federation of Gay Games is to foster and augment the self-respect of lesbians and gay men throughout the world and to engender respect and understanding from the nongay world, primarily through an organized international participatory athletic and cultural event held every four years, and commonly known as the Gay Games.
Gay Games VIII were held in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 6, 2010.
The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level. Originally called the Gay Olympics, it was started in San Francisco in 1982, as the brainchild of Tom Waddell, whose goals were to promote the spirit of inclusion and participation, as well as the pursuit of personal growth in a sporting event. It retains many similarities with the Olympics, including the Gay Games flame which is lit at the opening ceremony.
The Gay Games is open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation. There are no qualifying standards to compete in the Gay Games. It brings together people from all over the world, many from countries where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden.
The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) is the sanctioning body of the Gay Games. From its statement of concept and purpose:
The purpose of the Federation of Gay Games is to foster and augment the self-respect of lesbians and gay men throughout the world and to engender respect and understanding from the nongay world, primarily through an organized international participatory athletic and cultural event held every four years, and commonly known as the Gay Games.
Gay Games VIII were held in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 6, 2010.
Muoversi, spesso velocemente. Diversi per natura, per mezzi, per necessità, ma simili nell'essenza. Assieme o da soli, con le proprie differenze e la propria unicità. Ma entrambi uniti da un destino comune: il viaggio.
♪♫ Music of the moment:Hopper: Colors ♪♫
© All my images are copyrighted.
Please, if you want to use any of my pictures, for any usage, you must contact me before you use. Thank you ©
2 BSAC Ocean divers and their instructor Mike by the plane in Vobster Quay.
My 1st dive of 2016 to get rid of cobwebs, dust, etc
What an experience to see my friend Beau take his daughter Ashley on her first open water dive -
Beau Babkirk Is One of the Best Dive instructors in Okinawa -
Great timing with the rays of light gleaming down-
Location : Okinawa-Japan
Nikon D90 Tokina 11-16mm
From the archives.
A pair of Red-throated Divers swimming on lake Prestvannet, Tromsø.
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS + 1,4x
Two Police divers search the Grand Union Canal in North West London looking for the body of a missing man. It was a freezing cold January day, you can see how red the officers face is from the cold.