After our visit to Yeosu, my wife and I stopped and checked out Suncheon Bay which is located on the southern coast Choellanam-do province:

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This area is a large wetland that has been protected by the Korean government by being turned into an ecological park:

The buildings at the entrance to the park appeared to be of new construction and house a visitor center and a number of other exhibits like an observatory that visitors should find of interest:

The visitor center provides some very detailed displays about the ecological importance of the Suncheon Bay wetlands to migratory birds and other wildlife in the region:

Brian Deutsch had a nice write up about the park in the Korea Times:

“What must be protected must be protected, but it would be even better if wetlands are utilized as eco-tourism sites because that could result in not only their protection but also the revitalization of the local economy,” Lee said.

Suncheon Bay is one such site and to promote this goal Suncheon city recently declared itself the Ecological Capital of South Korea. The bay and city pride itself on hosting a large variety of migratory bird species, and a 2006 release from Ramsar said there were at least 25 threatened bird species among them. The festival’s namesake the hooded crane is especially beloved, and practically every exhibit of the Eco-Museum is devoted to it. Classified as a vulnerable species there are roughly 10,000 left in the world, and its numbers are being further reduced by the constant reclamation and development of wetlands in South Korea and China.

However, very few of these birds actually spend time Suncheon, as an estimated 80 percent in 2005-2006 wintered in southern Japan, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ironically for a place big on conservation, placards throughout the reed fields point out the animals of significance, while mothers and fathers let their children know which ones are good to eat.

The visitor center had stuff animals of the various birds that call this wetland home at some point during their migratory travels:

By the way I saw one bird, a crane during my visit to the park and it flew away from me too fast for me to take a picture of it unfortunately.

After checking out the visitor center we began to walk down the trail that takes visitors deep into the wetlands of the park.  While driving to Suncheon Bay as well as walking down the trail it was quite evident what a productive agricultural area surrounds Suncheon Bay.  It seems like every acre of land that isn’t part of the park is a rice paddy of some sort:

The trail eventually leaves the rice paddies and goes through a small bit of marsh land:

After crossing through the marsh the trail then crosses over the Mijin Bridge where boats offer visitors tours up the river:

Once across the bridge the trail turns into a wooden plank boardwalk that takes visitors deep into this large field of reeds:

When the tide is low little creatures can be seen scuttling about all over place in the mud below the wooden plank walkway:

Looking back towards the visitor center I could see Mujin Bridge that crosses the river and into the field of reeds:

We enjoyed our time walking through the reed field and soon Yongsan Mountain came into view where the trail continues up it to a look out:

Since my wife and I visited Suncheon Bay with her mom and dad they were not up to hiking all the way up the hill that provides a bird’s eye view of the wetlands.  My wife and I will have to come back here some day to do that.  Anyway here is what the view from the view look out looks like for those who make it up there:

This place is really beautiful and I would think professional and even amateur photographers would find this place to be a joy to take pictures of considering its scenic beauty.