Today we took a brief break from the whales survey to support KFEM (the Korean NGO we are working with) as they struggle to defend a local tidal mudflat called Saemangum, which is an important habitat for many species of wildlife. The area is also important as a nursery for certain types of invertebrate, such as shrimps and molluscs, which are eaten by some whales – including the endangered Korean Gray.

So what's going to happen to this wetland? In 1991, the Korean government began building a 33–kilometre sea wall to "reclaim" the mudflats for agricultural use. It seems now though that the reclaimed land will be too saline for agricultural use, so they have to come up with something else. Other proposals now on the table include the construction of the worlds largest golf course – a massive 540 hole international complex. The US military has also indicated that it is planning to expand its airforce base on the edge of the wetlands, as part of a $250 million "facelift". (Personally I wouldn't want to risk putting a golf-ball through the window of an F111 fighter jet, but that's just me). KFEM is asking that the Korean government allow another hole in the 33km wall so that the sea can flow through to the creatures that depend on it.

One of the fisherman from the area showed us a huge piece of whalebone that he found in Saemangum, which strongly indicates there were once more whales in the area. He also told us that other fishermen who complain that whales and dolphins are threatening fisheries are wrong, and that it is just an excuse for overfishing and the resumption of whaling. He said that even if dolphins were eating a lot of squid that he'd still rather have them in his waters than not.

Our action plan was to take the inflatables to the seawall, where KFEM were holding a demonstration, using large blue pieces of cloth that symbolised water flowing over the seawall. I decided there was no way I was going to stay behind on the ship, and Yewon and I suited up for the journey.

We arrived at Saemangum and, in front of a boat of media, hung banners between inflatables and flew flags in front of the protest KFEM was holding on the wall itself. KFEM had set up a huge inflatable whale and were fluttering the blue banners with which they spelt out "SOS" (Save our Semangeum). Due to the aforementioned difficulty I had in just hanging on to the boat, I didn't get many pictures, but I did manage to get a nice one of Gina with her SOS flag.

Wearing one of those famous orange boatsuits emblazoned with "Greenpeace" felt so weird, but so right. I bet that my high school teachers saw this coming a long way off. But in all those photos and on TV, Greenpeace activists make it look easy. Even though I felt like a complete action hero, to be honest, I had trouble just staying inside the boat - even now, hours later, my left leg is still killing me from pushing against the base, and my fingers are stiff and sore from grasping onto the ropes for dear life. Gina and Oscar (who was driving) did their best to placate me with chocolate on the way back, and I have to say a lot of the time it was exhilirating, but it's definitely physically demanding work. Especially for a girl who spends most of her time firmly planted behind a computer. In the photos though I'm sure I have a big smile plastered across my face, I was so excited to actually be there. So was Yewon - in fact, she was so exhausted upon return that she's still asleep now, tucked up with a hot water bottle. I think I'm going to do the same myself!