Spotted seal observatory to be built in Baengnyeong Island, Incheon

▲This photo, provided by Green Incheon, shows Baengnyeong Island spotted seals . (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, October 20 (Yonhap) -- An observatory to observe Spotted seals closer will be built at the northernmost side of the west sea, Baengnyeong Island.

The Incheon Metropolitan Government announced on October 19 that it will build an observatory to observe seals and an ecotourism experience center at Hani Beach and Jinchon-ri Village in Baengnyeongdo Island, Ongjin-gun, a habitat for spotted seals.

Hani Beach, which was designated as an eco-tourism area by the Ministry of Environment in May last year, is the largest habitat in Korea for the spotted seal, a natural monument and an endangered wildlife class II.

The city of Incheon will spend 9 billion won by 2024 to build an observatory where visitors can observe spotted seals, an eco-tourism experience center, an eco park, an eco village (eco-friendly accommodation), and an eco trail.

The two-story eco-tourism experience center supports sustainable exploration, learning, and research activities, and includes an exhibition/experience hall and community space.

The ecological trail, where visitors can appreciate the natural scenery and observe animals and plants, is planned to be built with two courses of 5 km in size.

The number of spotted seals inhabiting the West Sea has decreased from about 8,000 in the 1940s to 1,500 recently, but 200 to 300 spotted seals can be observed from spring to late autumn at Hani Beach every year.

Yoon Hyun-mo, director of the Maritime Affairs and Aviation Bureau said, “We will preserve the natural environment and improve the quality of the local residents life by creating the infrastructure for the ecotourism area.”

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)


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