Story of the Heuksando whale that saved lives

The walking craze is sweeping the nation again after a hiatus. The first thing that comes to mind when people think of walking is the Jeju Olle Trail or mountain hiking, but there are many good walking trails on the islands. A Korean Island Research Institute has established a website called 100seom.com, which connects 100 island trails scattered across the country to provide information for free of charge.

The 38th course of the 100seom Trail is the Chillaksan Trail, which is located on Heuksando Island. It is a path that people stopping by before Hongdo Island would never know about. The 7.1-kilometer Chillaksan Trail, which runs from Sosa-ri to Sangrasanseong Fortress, features a gently sloping ridge. Along the way, you'll hear stories about the treasures of life on the island.

After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan monopolized whaling in the waters of the Korean Peninsula and caught more than 10,000 large whales in the waters of our peninsula for 40 years, including 1,446 large whales captured in the waters off the coast of Heuksando Island. That's why there is a place called Goraepanjang, where whales were dismantled, and Whale Park on the island. During that time, a culture of consuming whale meat emerged on the island, even though whales were not hunted due to their sacred status.

Despite its abundance, however, one family on Heuksando Island refuses to consume whale meat. The Hamyang Park family holds this belief because whales once came to their rescue when they were in peril at sea.

One winter, several members of the Park family were fishing in the waters southwest of Heuksando Island when they encountered a gust of wind. Huddled in despair on the sides of their boat, they suddenly witnessed a whale approaching and disappearing beneath their fishing vessel, causing the rocking boat to become still. Believing it to be otherworldly, they looked up and saw something amazing: the whale carried the boat on its back and swam towards the island. The whale eventually dropped the boat within sight of the Sari village, turned around, and headed back. When the waves were still strong, and it seemed like the fishing boat might tip over, the whale turned back around, returned, and carried the boat on its back closer to the beach before disappearing.

At first glance, it is hard to believe the story. However, the Park family and the villagers I met on the island were quick to point out the whale's grace. Many such mysterious stories exist on islands. When an island has a story, people are attracted to it and return for more.