5BAJAU PEOPLE

The Sama-Bajau, or ‘sea nomads’, are a collection of Austronesian tribes found throughout South East Asia. They gained the ‘sea nomad’ moniker for their distinctive seafaring lifestyle, a unique way of life that distinguishes them from other world cultures. They live on small houseboats, historically only coming ashore for supplies or shelter from storms.

Many of them free dive for their food, and are as comfortable in the water as they are on land, boasting eye watering breath holds lasting for minutes on end. So prevalent is their diving culture, that nature has naturally selected for them to evolve bigger spleens to assist in diving.

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