Legendary 'women of the sea' in South Korea freedive well into their 80s. A new study hints at how.

Two women, one in diving gear, haul a bag of seafood to shore from the ocean.

A group of women on South Korea's largest island, Jeju, follow a unique tradition to put food on the table: They freedive to depths of nearly 33 feet (10 meters) without using any special equipment.

Now, a new study reveals that these women carry distinct genes not found in South Koreans living on the mainland. These genes may be linked to the women's abilities to withstand frigid water and lower their blood pressure while diving, the scientists wrote in a study published Friday (May 2) in the journal Cell Reports.