The Bajau are a remarkable fish people that can hold their breath underwater for over ten minutes in order to spear food thanks to a genetic anomaly called the “sea nomad gene.”
The Bajau people of Southeast Asia evolved larger spleens to enable them to store more oxygen in their blood during free diving.
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The water tribe lives in the deep blue waters that encircle Malaysia, Indonesia, and the southern Philippines; they never set foot on land.
Due of their well-known nomadic lifestyle, they are referred to as “sea gypsies”. These fishermen resemble real-life Aquaman thanks to their amazing diving abilities.
Bajau people are capable of submerging up to 200 feet and remaining submerged for up to 10 minutes due to their larger spleens. The spleen, which is next to the stomach and is shaped like a fist, is a biological “scuba tank” that holds extra oxygen in the bloodstream.
The Bajau keep refining their innate understanding of the waters. They have evolved to be better swimmers and breathers than most other humans, in addition to being skilled navigators. The Bajau have a genetic connection to their surroundings, according to a 2018 story in The Atlantic. Compared to other humans, their spleens might be up to 50% larger.
The function of the spleen as a blood filter is its main function. Red blood cells that are high in oxygen are stored in the organ under normal circumstances. However, in order to increase the amount of oxygen in the body, the spleen contracts and expels the cells when a person stops breathing.
The remarkable skills of the marine nomads are used to capture food, primarily fish, lobsters, and sea cucumbers. The latter is used both as a medicine and as an aphrodisiac.
The tribe hunts marine mammals according to custom, and they are self-sufficient.
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They exchange extra fish with the islanders to get supplies they can’t get in the ocean.
The Bajau prefer to live in stilted wooden cottages and handcrafted boats than in traditional houses. Also, the children of the tribe learn how to catch fish with a net instead of going to school to study.
