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‘Sea Nomads’ can hold breath underwater for as long as 13 minutes due to one enlarged organ
The Bajau people of Southeast Asia, sometimes called “Sea Nomads”, are known for their ability to dive deep into the waters and hold their breath for as long as 13 minutes – an ability that doesn’t compare to normal humans.
Researchers have been trying to understand their unique aquatic skills for a long time and one study from recent times attributes their abilities to one organ, 50 percent larger than their fellow humans living on the land.
‘Sea Nomads’ have spleens larger than normal humans
The spleen is an organ as big as the fist and it rests next to your stomach, behind your left ribs. A study conducted on the Bajau people by evolutionary geneticist Melissa Ilardo found their spleens were unusually large.
The role of the spleen is to filter out old cells and support the immune system, in addition to serving as a reservoir of red blood cells carrying oxygen.
When the human body is underwater, the heart slows lowering the amount of oxygen consumed by the body and the blood vessels naturally contract to send oxygen-rich blood to vital organs, The spleen contracts as well providing an “oxygen boost” thus allowing someone with a larger organ to stay longer in deep waters and they can hold their breath for as long as 13 minutes.
“If natural selection had acted in seals to give them larger spleens, then it mightve done the same thing in humans, the researcher said as she explained the reason behind larger spleens in people spending more time in and around water.
Although Melissa believes it’s hard to determine if larger spleen in Bajau people was a result of their genes carried on for years, due to the smaller size of the sample they studied, she did note that it didn’t matter if a Bajau person was a diver or not, their spleen was still large and this can’t be a result of underwater training over a period of time.
The Bajau people live in their boats
Not only are they renowned for their exceptional diving skills, but the Bajau people live a nomadic life. Their boats are their homes and they move from one spot to another around the sea.
They use tools of their own making to hunt fish underwater and make a living out of the wealth of the sea. Sea cucumber among other sea creatures forms their staple diet.
They are believed to seldom set foot on land unless they want to trade their fish for other food items and in the case of a storm to seek protection.
The children are taught to swim from a very young age and by the time turn 8, they are introduced to hunting and fishing.
