A rare phenomenon occurred in the waters off Jeju, where thousands of dragonflies congregated around fishing boats, leading to a halt in operations. Experts analyzed that this phenomenon is related to climate change and the formation of an early monsoon front.
According to JIBS Jeju Broadcasting on the 18th, thousands of dragonflies swarmed around a fishing boat operating in the waters off Suwolbong in Han-gyeong-myeon, Jeju City, early that morning. The dragonflies, drawn by the lights installed on the boat, clung densely to the body of the crew members, making operations virtually impossible.
The assault of the dragonflies continued for over three hours. A captain of one fishing vessel said, "It covered the entire boat completely," adding, "They stuck to the people, making it nearly impossible to operate the boat itself."
The dragonflies that swarmed the boat are the species known as the mung bean dragonfly, measuring 3.7 to 4.2 cm in body length. They fly in from Southeast Asia and typically pass through areas like Jeju and Kyushu in Japan, primarily feeding on mosquitoes and flies. They usually appear in large numbers around mid-July, when the sweltering heat starts after the monsoon.
Last September, a swarm of mung bean dragonflies also engulfed a fishing boat near Gimnyeong Port in Jeju. However, this time, it occurred at an unusually early date and in waters located several dozen kilometers away.
Meteorological experts point out that the mung bean dragonflies have a habit of moving north along the monsoon front, and that the formation of the monsoon front near Jeju occurred earlier this year than usual. They also report that the consistently hot and humid weather has created favorable conditions for their activity ahead of schedule.