In Indonesia is located the Sulawesi island were live the Bajau, also known as Sulawesi ghosts
They live in small boats called lepas. They're born on them, they grow up on them, they marry and have children on them, and they die on them. Their relationship to the sea is so close that they're unhappy to step on land, where they really do feel like fish out of water. If they leave the leppa, it's only to visit the underwater depths. They can dive to a depth of up to 50 feet and stay under water for a full five minutes.
We still don't know how the Bajau came to live here or how they came to this way of life. Some anthropologists say that they fled from inter-tribal violence in Malaysia, but they believe otherwise.
They rarely venture far from shore, though. They stay close by, fishing in the coral reefs.
In the evening the Bajau bring their boats close to the mangrove swamp for protection.
They meet all their needs on these houseboats made of api wood, but there is so little room to move that older people's legs actually atrophy.
Even so, up to five people can live on the boats, which have bedrooms, pantries, kitchens and living rooms.
They live in small boats called lepas. They're born on them, they grow up on them, they marry and have children on them, and they die on them. Their relationship to the sea is so close that they're unhappy to step on land, where they really do feel like fish out of water. If they leave the leppa, it's only to visit the underwater depths. They can dive to a depth of up to 50 feet and stay under water for a full five minutes.
We still don't know how the Bajau came to live here or how they came to this way of life. Some anthropologists say that they fled from inter-tribal violence in Malaysia, but they believe otherwise.
They rarely venture far from shore, though. They stay close by, fishing in the coral reefs.
In the evening the Bajau bring their boats close to the mangrove swamp for protection.
They meet all their needs on these houseboats made of api wood, but there is so little room to move that older people's legs actually atrophy.
Even so, up to five people can live on the boats, which have bedrooms, pantries, kitchens and living rooms.
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