Living with Sea Nomads 2012-2013
On October 18th, I am heading towards Southeast Asia for a six months long stay with Bajau Laut – The People of the Sea.
My first stop will be on Borneo, Malaysia, where I will live among Bajau Laut sea nomads. Still, more than hundeds of people spend their entire lives on boats. Here I will gather material for my Master Thesis on dynamite fishing and make a short movie about Bajau Laut’s maritime lifestyle. Thanks to Barnens Stipendiefond that has given me a grant for making the film!
During the journey I will also spend time in southern Philippines, where I will visit a Bajau Laut community in Davao City – where I have lived for several months.
In the beginning of next year I am also heading towards Sulawesi, Indonesia, where I will live among Bajo people (they are relatives of Bajau in Malaysia and Philippines, but speak a different dialect).
Throughout the journey I will also collect diving statistics for professor Erika Schagatay at the Mid-Sweden University. I am bringing three logging devices that will measure how deep the Bajau fishermen dive and for how long they stay under water. The most interesting data is, though, their underwater working time during a longer period of diving.
I will make continuous updates on the blog during the journey.
The Aquatic Ape 
hey, how are you?
im doing a research on bajau laut and am in a process of making a stage drama..
if you dont mind, can u share some of your experience?
it will be awesome if we can share it and make it into a stage drama :))
hope u can email me back.
thanks!
nurshamirasuraya@gmail.com
November 19, 2013 at 3:22 am
Hi Mira! Thanks for your message. Yes, I can share some of my experience. It sounds interesting and innovative with a stage drama about the life of Bajau! I will e-mail you. Regards, Erik
November 19, 2013 at 11:45 pm