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Living along the southern coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia for over 1,000 years, the Bajau tribe has lived a nomadic life on houseboats, spending most of their lives at sea.
"The sea is our home."
With the sea as their home, for centuries, generations of the Bajau people have drifted on the coral reefs of Southeast Asia. Spending most of their time diving for fish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and other marine life, they are known as "sea people" due to their exceptional diving abilities. Some members of the Bajau claim they can hold their breath for up to 13 minutes and dive to depths of 60 meters, while others can comfortably dive to depths of 20-30 meters in half that time.
The Bajau Laut people of Indonesia are known as the "sea nomads" or "fish people".
As an ethnic group of Malay descent, the Bajau have lived almost exclusively on the water for centuries. While other "sea nomad" groups have existed for a long time in history, the Bajau may be the last surviving sea-dwelling tribe today. The Bajau reside in Southeast Asia, specifically the waters southwest of the Philippines. As migrants, they drift from place to place and are not literally or figuratively bound to any one country.
They can free dive and spearfish, and are also excellent swimmers.
With no official state records or even much documented history, the story of this "sea people" tribe stems from their own unique cultural and folk traditions, with tribal history passed down orally from generation to generation. "We inherited the sea and the art of diving from our ancestors," says Ima Baineng, a Bajau fisherwoman. Regardless of gender or age, Bajau boys, girls, and children are passionate about diving. They can spend eight hours a day diving deep underwater. Some even spend up to 60% of their time underwater.
The Bajau people were among the first to be shown to possess the genetic makeup to adapt to diving.
"Every day, I go out to sea at 4 a.m. and return home around noon. Usually, I catch about 15 kg of fish. When I was young, I could dive to a depth of 20 meters. Now that I'm older, I only dive down to 16 meters," shared Mandor Tembang, a local fisherman.
Preserving maritime culture as a heritage
Earning their living primarily from fishing, the Bajau people live in houseboats called lepas, often docking ashore to trade or seek shelter during storms. When not living on boats, they typically reside in small stilt houses built over the water.
The Bajau Laut people have larger spleens than the average person.
Because of their frequent and early exposure to seawater, they have developed an unparalleled mastery of the ocean. Children in the tribe learn to swim from a young age and begin fishing and hunting as early as eight years old. As a result, most Bajau people are professional divers.
According to experts, long-term seafaring has helped the Bajau people "evolve" to adapt to the aquatic environment. Some studies indicate that, due to their early exposure to free swimming and diving, the Bajau have larger spleens than the average person, allowing them to move and work longer underwater. A study by the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) showed that the spleens of the Bajau are up to 50% larger than those of other land-dwelling communities in Indonesia. Meanwhile, other studies suggest that the Bajau may also possess certain genes related to the diving reflex.
From a young age, they were inextricably linked to the sea.
Underwater, these red blood cells continue to distribute oxygen to the internal organs to maintain the body's basic functions. Having a large spleen means the Bajau have more oxygen-carrying red blood cells, allowing them to stay underwater longer. This is crucial in demonstrating that, over time, natural evolution has helped the Bajau tribe – who have lived in this area for 1,000 years – adapt to a nomadic life at sea. And this is a genetic factor, not something learned through experience.
Furthermore, some anthropologists argue that more evidence is needed to confirm the difference in spleen size between the Bajau "merfolk" and those of people living primarily on land. The body's reaction when diving underwater is similar to a medical condition called acute hypoxia, in which the body experiences a rapid drop in oxygen levels, often leading to death. Further research on the Bajau could help improve our understanding of this condition.
Scientists also discovered a gene variant commonly found in the Bajau population that helps control T4 hormone levels.
Speaking to the BBC, Melissa Ilardo, from the University of Cambridge, said, "There isn't much information about the human spleen in terms of physiology and genetics, but we do know that deep-diving seals, like Weddell seals, have disproportionately large spleens. We believe that in the Bajau people, they have an adaptation that increases thyroid hormone levels and therefore increases the size of their spleen."
However, the unique lifestyle of the Bajau people is gradually fading away for various reasons. Many are switching from traditional diving methods to other ways of catching seafood, as their supply is threatened by the fishing industry. High competition for fishing has forced the Bajau to use more commercial tactics, including the use of cyanide poison and explosives. Additionally, they are switching to heavier wood for their boats because traditional wood is endangered. These new boats require engines to operate, meaning they will spend more money on fuel.
Their lives are now changing, along with the development of the modern world, including economic pressures.
The stigma associated with nomadic living also forced many "merfolk" to abandon their lifestyle. They were gradually accepted by surrounding countries and given access to government aid programs they had never received before.
This tribe still wants to instill a love for the sea in the younger generation, so that the sea will always be home to this tribe.
However, for the Bajau people, fishing is not just a means of livelihood, and water is not just a resource. At the heart of their cultural identity is the relationship between the ocean and humanity. Therefore, when it comes to preserving the Bajau people, we are not just preserving the people, but also their culture and the sea that they have called home for centuries.
