BAJAU LAUT: LAST OF THE SEA NOMADS

BAJAU LAUT: LAST OF THE SEA NOMADS

the bajau laut are some of the world’s last true sea normads, living as they have for centuries almost entirely in the waters of the coral triangle - a veritable amazon of the oceans, said to contain 75% of the world’s coral species - on long boats known as lepa lepa.

hunters of fish, pearls and sea cucumbers, the bajau people free dive to depths of 20 meters, hold their breath for up to three minutes, and spend up to 60% of their time in the water submerged - the equivalent of a sea otter. it is a common practice amongst bajau people to intentionally burst their ear drums at an early age to deal with the problem of equalizing.

as photographer james morgan explains, “traditional bajau cosmology - a syncretism of animism and islam - reveals a complex relationship with the ocean, which for them is a multifarious and living entity. there are spirits in currents and tides, in coral reefs and mangroves.” the bajau people, for example, will not spit in the ocean.

in the last few decades, increasingly depleted fish stocks and government efforts have forced many to settle permanently on land and abandon a life of self sufficiency known as cari laut, or ‘searching the ocean’. a dwindling few, however, still choose to live the majority of their lives at sea.

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a pod of twelve dolphins joined the women’s finals of the rincon classic surf competition in santa barbara last weekend. as photographer david powdrell noted, “the size of the rascals and the fact that there were so many of them made it truly unforgettable; one of those magical yet fleeting moments that surprise us in life sometimes. they didn’t just catch one wave, either; they had a session out there.”

he added, “dolphins play in the energy of a wave using power and elegance. you can almost see the joy in the eyes of a dolphin as they fly across the face of the wave. there’s an adage in the surfing world that the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. i can’t tell if it’s the dolphin or the surfer who’s the best surfer.”

additional photos by emily bates and kc alfred previous posts of dolphins surfing with people