자꾸 웃음만 나온다. 오랜만에 낙지 쓸어 담은 경력 50년 베테랑 낙지 사냥꾼 / #바다다큐

Octopus hunters catch octopus, a delicacy of the mudflats, with their bare hands! This summer, due to the unusually prolonged heatwave, octopuses have disappeared, earning them the nickname "golden octopus." People have gathered to catch these precious treasures. Among those armed with various equipment, there's one worker who catches octopus with nothing but his bare hands. He's been catching octopuses for about 50 years, and he's been doing it since he first learned. His skilled technique allows him to catch more octopuses in a shorter period of time than those with tools. First, he searches for the octopus's breathing hole from the land, scooping up mudflat and water along the hole's path. Once he's done, he forms a lump with the mudflat and seals the hole with a convex shape. He then marks the hole with the mudflat like a tombstone, completing the preliminary work known as "grave octopus." After three to four hours of repetitive work, wading through the squishy mud, my feet sink in. Once the burying process is complete, I return to the "grave octopus" I started with. Now, the real work begins: the catching. I quickly turn over the clump of mud blocking the pores, quickly insert my hand, and retrieve the octopus. But it's often a waste of time! Leaving my disappointment behind, I continue to move tirelessly until the water rises, rapidly inserting and removing my hand from the buried octopus hole. It's said that if you keep doing this, your entire body will soon be covered in mud. Catching octopus with bare hands is a arduous and lonely task, and it's increasingly being called the last generation. But let's meet the people who are still putting their all into catching octopus in the mudflats for their families. ※ Extreme Job - Delicacies from the Mudflats and the Sea! Octopus and Red Crab (2024.10.26)