Bajau
The Bajau people, also known as Sea Gypsies, are a Southeast Asian ethnic group known for their incredible diving skills and strong connection to the
sea. They traditionally live on boats or stilted villages along the coast, relying on fishing for their livelihood. Their culture is deeply tied to the ocean, and they’ve adapted to life on the water for generations.
Two centuries ago, a group of Bajau people arrived in Sumbawa, Indonesia, coming from the southern Philippines and Vietnam. At that time, Bungin Island was just a sandbank located along the northern coast. The term “Bungin” means “a mound of white sand.”
They built very simple houses on this sandy area. However, as their population increased, they expanded the island by gathering coral to create foundations for houses on the lower parts of the nearby coral reef.
The Bajau people are skilled fishermen and free-divers who can hold their breath and remain underwater for as long as eight minutes. Some children even have their eardrums pierced to prevent them from bursting due to water pressure while diving.
With 3,500 residents on just 8.5 hectares (21 acres) of land, Bungin Island also stands out as the most densely populated of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands and one of the most densely populated islands in the world.
Sea levels are steadily rising due to the increasing impacts of climate change, posing a growing threat to coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide.
The Bajau tribe of Bungin Island could soon be in serious danger.
Tahit. He is one of the most skilled coral harvesters of Bungin Island. People pay him to collect dead coral from the outer reef to use it as foundations for their new houses. Most of the reef that gets collected is dead. Back in the day, fishermen used to blast fishing. It is a destructive fishing practice using explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This illegal practice is extremely destructive to the surrounding ecosystem, as the explosion often destroys the underlying habitat.
Typical house of Bungin Island. The foundations are made out of coral and the structure is built on top of it
Pillars made out of coral reef before the construction of the structure of a new house
House of Bungin Island under construction. Before getting married and having children, every man has to build the house for his future family
A boat hospital gets sent over by the indonesian government every two months to check Bungin island population’s health conditions
Jaelani Leader and mayor of the island
