December 23, 2022 ▸ People, Places

Episode 696: Bajau People: The Ultimate Sea Gypsies

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about a unique group called the Bajau people. They are a group of sea nomads who have genetically evolved to be the perfect sea-goers. Their bodies have adapted to hold their breath insane amounts of time and regulate oxygen in ways no other human can. Some have held their breath for as long as 13 minutes and have dived as deep as 200 feet with no ill effects. They live on boats and coral reefs, call no nation their home, and some spend 60% of their day underwater. Their ancient legends about “The wave that eats people” let them survive the great Tsunami with no casualties. If you want to hear about the real-life Waterworld, give this one a listen.

Visit our Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43823885

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sama-Bajau

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bajau-sea-nomads-free-diving-spleen-science

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/bajau-sea-nomads-diving-evolution-spleen/558359/

https://isemph.org/Sea-Nomads#:~:text=The%20Bajau%20are%20a%20seafaring,day%20hunting%20underwater%20for%20fish.

https://authentic-indonesia.com/blog/8-unique-facts-of-the-bajau-indonesia-sea-gypsies-tribe/

(88) Bajau – the real waterworld people – YouTube

(88) Meet the ocean nomads of the South Pacific | 60 Minutes Australia – YouTube

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sea-gypsies-saw-signs-in-the-waves/