Most people associate cherry blossoms with springtime in Korea but you’d be remiss not to pay attention to the amazing Getbol that also comes to life around the same time. Getbol, or tidal mud flats of southwestern Korea, may not be high on your list of must-see places. However, this Unesco World Heritage site is not only a national treasure but a pivotal stop for one of the world’s most breathtaking migratory feats.
The amazing bar-tailed godwits that winter in Australia and New Zealand feel the warm spring weather approaching around March and depart for the Korean Getbol. They fly for seven or eight days and nights straight, braving the elements of pounding rain, gusty winds, and other untold perils. Finally, they land on the Korean mudflats, home to thousands of species of mud-dwelling creatures that feed the birds at their lone refueling station during their journey back home to Alaska.
The migratory path of the bar tailed godwit. In the spring, the flocks must feed in the Yellow Sea tidal flats, or they will not survive the trip back to America.
The Getbol belong to one of the five largest tidal mud flats on this planet. The Yellow Sea has a shallow shelf and an archipelago with significant macro-tidal conditions (4~9m). This tidal energy has enriched marine ecosystems, migratory birds from around the world, and more than 150 million people living nearby.
Here, you can witness the tranquil sight of local residents donning rubber boots and gloves to harvest marine creatures like webfoot octopus (쭈꾸미), long-arm octopus (낙지), and a variety of clam (조개) species. Shorebirds make pit stops during their transcontinental migrations to feast on the abundant prey. They are so numerous that they can seemingly blot out the entire sky.
Getbol Attain Unesco World Heritage Site Designation
In 2021, the Getbol was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage, recognizing its unique ecological significance and outstanding universal value (OUV). The site is comprised of four component parts: Seocheon Getbol (서천 갯벌), Gochang Getbol (고창 갯벌), Shinan Getbol (신안 갯벌,) and Boseong-Suncheon Getbol (보성-순천 갯벌). The site hosts high levels of biodiversity, with reports of 2,150 species of flora and fauna, including 22 globally threatened or near-threatened species. It is home to 47 endemic and five endangered marine invertebrate species in addition to a total of 118 migratory bird species, for which the site provides critical habitats at the heart of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF).
Korean tidal flats are being endangered, however, mainly because of aggressive reclamation and pollution. One particularly notorious case of reclamation occurred in the Saemangeum(새만금) area of the Yellow Sea tidal flats.
You might recall hearing about Saemangeum in the news last summer when the National Boy Scout Jamboree took place in Korea. The disastrous event was held at the reclaimed site of Saemangeum. The oppressive heat, humidity, and pests were a result of the site’s recent reclamation, which stripped it of its capacity to moderate heat. The time-consuming reclamation commenced after the announcement of the Jamboree location, leaving insufficient time for infrastructure development; furthermore, the recently reclaimed field was too salty to support tree growth, meaning there was no shade to provide a cooling effect.
The Saemangeum Seawall Devastates the Ecosystem
In 2006, the Korean government enclosed the area where two rivers meet the Yellow Sea with the world’s largest dike, the Saemangeum Seawall. This was devastating news for birds.
Saemangum Seawall is the longest man-made dam in the world. The water inside the seawall is deprived of fresh seawater, devastating the marine life and leaving little food for the migratory birds.
Bar-tailed godwits are large, highly migratory waders that embark on the longest non-stop journey on this planet, traveling from Alaska to New Zealand and Australia. Previously, the maximum nonstop flight was estimated at around 5,000km, which was already remarkable. In 2008, however, tracking the flight paths of godwits implanted with miniaturized satellite transmitters revealed that they make a direct, non-stop flight across the central Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand and eastern Australia, covering a distance of 10,000 km, far surpassing previous maximum estimates. The non-stop flight record is 13,000 km.
On their journey back from New Zealand and eastern Australia to their home in Alaska, they make just one stopover, the Yellow Sea tidal flats, where they rest for about 40 days to build up body fat before continuing a 7,000 km flight to Alaska. They arrive at the tidal flats with a 40% decrease in body weight. If they can’t feed and regain their energy here, flying back to Alaska becomes impossible.
Bar tailed godwits flying over the getbols of Korea
The Dire Situation Faced by Migratory Birds Who Are Losing Their Getbol
The status of the bar-tailed godwit is “Near Threatened”, and the population is declining. Before 2006, 4,175 individual godwits were observed in the Saemangeum area. But now, only 274 godwits have been spotted. The maximum number observed has dropped to 6.6%, with 95.4% of bar-tailed godwits disappearing in the Saemangeum area. Despite this decimated loss, Saemangeum tidal flat still fulfills the requirements to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is critical to recover the biodiversity of the Saemangeum area. There is no time to lose.
To safeguard bar-tailed godwits and other migratory birds, particularly in Alaska, it is imperative to preserve the single crucial stopover wetland: the Yellow Sea tidal flats. When you witness the spectacle of migratory birds, please bear in mind the incredible journey they make from Korea to the US.
If you’re interested in exploring the beauty of the Saemangeum tidal flat and understanding the challenges it’s currently facing, I highly recommend watching the documentary film “SURA: A LOVE SONG.” You can catch a glimpse of it through the trailer.
If you want to contribute to the preservation of migratory birds in Alaska, you can send emails to both the US government and the IUCN, informing them of the threats these birds face in Korean tidal flats. Additionally, please consider contacting UNESCO to highlight the fact that the Korean government is violating its promise to protect these tidal flats, which was made when they were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can also make a difference by supporting the petition to save the Saemangeum tidal flats.
