The Bajau people are the first tribe in the world to have evolved to adapt to life under the sea. They spend their entire lives living on the water and searching for food on the ocean floor. They live in temporary stilt houses and on their boats, scattered throughout the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. They have lived this way for over 1000 years, and their food is entirely dependent on the surrounding seafood—shrimp, crab, fish, and squid.
Therefore, the Bajau puncture their eardrums to balance the pressure, helping them avoid discomfort when diving deep underwater. However, this also reduces hearing ability and makes them vulnerable to ear infections—a trade-off they must accept in order to live underwater.
What is extremely unusual is that they can dive for over 13 minutes at a depth of 60m. Why? Because they have a much larger spleen than most people—a natural biological scuba tank. Their spleen is over 50% larger, allowing it to pump more oxygen into the blood.
What’s even more fascinating is that this feature is not only found in divers, but also in children who have never dived before. This proves they have evolved as a tribe to survive and thrive under the sea. 🌊
📸 A Sama-Bajau fisherman swims to the surface with an octopus caught in the Banda Sea in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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