I remember I would take baths for no reason just so I could pretend. I would gather my favorite toys (that sank to the bottom of the tub) and throw them in the water so that I could "dive" in and discover my "make-believe" underwater treasures.
Maybe I was meant to be a haenyo--a Korean mermaid.
The haenyo dive without oxygen tanks and solely rely on their vintage diving masks and special breathing techniques that help them store oxygen. These women free dive for abalone, sea urchins, octopi, seaweed and shellfish and have been diving for a living for at least 2000 years.
Ancient Confucian Law required men to pay a hefty work labor tax for diving so women started diving because they could by pass the taxation.
Haenyos work hard to support their families with the hopes of giving them a better life.
Unfortunately they are a dying breed. In the 60's there were as many as 30,000 haenyo but today there are maybe 2,500 left, still diving for their living. To become a haenyo, your mother had to be one as it was a passed down profession. Many of their daughters, however, have moved to bigger cities in search of city life and jobs that don't involve diving.
I also found this clip of Haenyo diving. Check it out.