Jukdo is an uninhabited islet about 4.8 km northeast of Jeodong Port, reached by high-speed dive boat. More than ten entries ring it, running from gentle slopes and kelp beds to semi-caves and rock walls that drop from around 30 m to 50 m. Typical profiles are 20 to 30 m in 20 to 30 m of visibility, and the wall and drift entries carry enough current to be dived as one-way passes.
Where it is and how deep
37.5288° N, 130.9378° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Boats run out from Jeodong Port in a high-speed craft taking about a dozen divers, roughly 4.8 km to the islet, and the crew picks one of the entries on the day. Profiles start as shallow as 9 m and the working depth is usually 20 to 30 m, but the rock keeps going to about 50 m, so the depth ceiling is agreed on the boat rather than adjusted on the way down.
The shallow ground is slope and kelp bed, with squid schools over it in early summer. Deeper, the terrain divides: semi-caves and undercuts are cut into the volcanic rock on some faces, and elsewhere a wall runs from around 30 m down to about 50 m. Sea fans and black coral colonies grow on the rock, and sheepshead wrasse, striped beakfish and red seabream hold on the structure.
Visibility is usually 20 to 30 m and opens to 40 or 50 m seasonally. Current is moderate around the islet as a whole but runs strong on the wall and drift entries, so those are dived as one-way passes with the boat following the group. From August through October the Kuroshio warm current pushes north past the island and brings tropical species with it; the season overall runs June to October. Fishing boats work the same water, which is the reason ascents are made on the line or under a deployed marker.
Marine life and season
- Squid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season |
Season follows Ulleungdo: Jul–Oct is warmest and clearest; winter storms in the East Sea stop the ferry for days and close the season entirely.
Know before you go
- Strong current on the wall and drift entries — those sites are run as one-way drifts with boat pickup rather than a return to the entry point.
- The rock continues to about 50 m, past the 20–30 m profile most groups plan, so the depth ceiling is agreed before entry and watched on the way down.
- Fishing boat traffic around the islet: surface with a marker deployed or come up the line rather than free-ascending in open water.
- Visibility drops in some seasons from the 20–30 m norm, so a torch and close buddy contact are worth having outside the clear months.
Photos from Jukdo
Senkaku Islands · CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions divers ask
How deep is diving at Jukdo?+
Typical profiles are 20 to 30 m. Entries start as shallow as 9 m and the walls keep going to about 50 m, so the deep ground is there if you drop over the edge — the depth ceiling is set on the boat before you get in.
Do I need a permit to dive Jukdo?+
No permit is required, but a local guide is recommended and nothing may be collected: harvesting is banned under the local fishery regulations. Access is by dive boat from Jeodong Port rather than from shore.
What is the visibility like at Jukdo?+
Typically 20 to 30 m, and seasonally as much as 40 to 50 m. Water temperature was around 21°C on a June reading, and August through October is when the warm Kuroshio current runs north past the island.
Sources
- Jukdo · Dive Site — Dive To Korea
- Scuba Diving in Ulleungdo & Dokdo — Dive Sites, Shops — Dive To Korea
- OpenStreetMap — 죽도 — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Steep sea cliffs of Jukdo islet seen from a boat, with white wake trailing across the blue water by Gupdaal, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jukdo islet viewed across open water from Ulleungdo's Sunrise Observatory, framed by an overlook railing by Senkaku Islands, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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