100 Places To Remember: The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea, Malaysia
Geschreven op 28-2-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
Home to a Nomadic Tribe of Boat Dwellers. Historically, the Bajau people have lived a nomadic seafaring life in the tropical monsoon climate of the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea. They stem from the south-west coast of the Philippines but are now spread across the triangle of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The Bajau fish, eat and sleep in handmade lipa-lipa boats, which have roofed living areas made of mats and poles, where meals are prepared on portable clay hearths. They fish with spears and hand-held lines, using lanterns to light up the sea on moonless nights. The movements of the Bajau are largely determined by the sea cucumber, considered a great delicacy in many Asian countries. Bajau divers are capable of reaching depths of up to 30 metres in search of sea cucumber.
Although they are Sunni Muslims many of the Bajau still perform older ceremonies, such as casting spirit boats into the open sea to ward off offending apparitions.
While many of the Bajau have settled on land and now live as farmers and cattle breeders, about 10% are still boat dwellers. For that 10%, the traditional life is growing increasingly complicated. Over-fishing and illegal methods such as blasting and poison-fishing are damaging the coral reefs and destroying the natural habitats of fish and sea cucumber alike. Projected rises in sea surface temperatures and increasing acidification due to climate change are likely to kill off even more of the coral. Eventually, this could herald the end of the traditional Bajau way of life.
