Pipha Seals – newly registered living monuments

In the DPR Korea there are a number of valuable and beautiful living monuments. Recently people are happy to hear that pipha seals have been newly designated as living monuments.

In Rason City there is a cape called the Pipha Cape because it looks like the pipha which is Korea’s traditional musical instrument. The Cape is inhabited by seals named pipha seals. These seals are ranging from 1.5m to 2m in length and from 120kg to 150kg in weight. They have narrow front side of their heads without auricles. There are grey and densely spotted on the dorsal regions while yellowish and sparsely spotted on the abdominal regions. They inhabit the sea area off the shore of Rason City from spring to fall and chiefly feed on fish and cephalopods including octopuses and cuttlefishes.

The seals, belonging to otariidae, are globally protected marine mammals since their number as well as living areas are considerably decreasing due to environmental pollution − globally serious problem.

The DPR Korea is promoting its long-term projects of national measures to protect not only useful or rare animals but also animals in danger. The recent designation of pipha seals as living monuments attracts national attention. The large villages of seals on the northern tip of the country add great beauty to Korea which is known as golden tapestry.

Nowadays the Rason Office of Maritime Administration of the DPR Korea is continuously improving its environmental pollution prevention measures to protect the seals living in the Pipha Cape.