Indonesian Bajau Tribe Becomes 'Sea Nomads' Thanks to Miraculous Genetic Mutation

The Bajau tribe have long lived a strange, mostly amphibian life, and now they have been shown to possess the ability through genetic modification to become "sea nomads".

Living off the coast of Indonesia for more than 1,000 years, the Bajau people live on rafts, spending much of their time at sea.

'Mermaid' tribe exists thanks to genetic mutation

They are talented divers, hunting fish with spears and have impressive lung capacity and super swimming ability, according to BBC.

Members of the tribe can dive to depths of up to 70 meters, using only ballast stones and wooden goggles.

Image of members of the gene mutation tribe

Sharing with CNN, expert Melissa Ilardo of Cambridge University (UK) said that the Bajau people dive about 8 hours/day, spending 60% of the day underwater.

New research has uncovered the secret behind this extraordinary ability: the "sea nomad gene", which gives them oversized spleens.

When a person dives underwater, the spleen contracts to pump oxygen-carrying red blood cells into the circulatory system, increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood by 9%.

So, with larger-than-normal spleens, the Bajau are certainly given a genetic advantage to live a "sea nomad" life.

It is difficult to determine how long the Bajau stay underwater during each dive, but some say they can dive for up to 13 minutes.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-lac-bajau-indonesia-tro-thanh-du-muc-bien-nho-dot-bien-gien-di-truyen-ky-dieu-18524101713595827.htm