Traditional freediving techniques are helping the Indigenous Bajau people of Indonesia preserve their cultural heritage and manage local marine resources sustainably following a provincial regulatory shift. Spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the Bajau have harvested the sea for generations primarily through breath-hold diving.
Indonesia’s Bajau Fishers Return to Ancestral Freediving
The Ban on Compressor Diving in Sumbawa
On the small fishing island of Sumbawa, local fishers and regional organizations are collaborating to safeguard Bajau diving practices and marine ecosystems. In Poto Tano, a coastal community where Mahari serves as the leader (ketua) of a local octopus-fishing group, fishers are returning to ancestral methods. Many fishers previously adopted compressor diving—a technique using surface-pumped hoses that supplies continuous air—because it allowed deeper and longer dives to boost economic yields. However, provincial authorities banned the practice due to its high danger and destructive impact on marine life. Freediving provides a safer alternative for human physiology while remaining gentle on the underwater environment when executed with proper expertise.
Deploying the Wooden Pocong Decoy at Depth
Depending on water visibility and ocean currents, Bajau fishers employ two distinct techniques to harvest day octopus (Octopus cyanea). In low-visibility or strong-current conditions, fishers trail a hooked shell behind their moving boat. When visibility is clear and currents are calm, they freedive to depths of 15 to 20 meters (50 to 65 feet) utilizing a specialized lure known as a pocong.
The pocong—translating literally to “ghost”—is a life-size decoy carved from wood and outfitted with felt strips designed to mimic the movement of an octopus’s limbs. Divers dangle the decoy near coral reefs to provoke curiosity from local octopuses, then spear the creatures or catch them by hand. Mastery of this tool requires intense physical conditioning and precision. As local fishers explain, the technique demands extreme skill because the octopus cannot be allowed to touch the decoy directly; if it makes contact, the animal immediately realizes the deception and escapes. Because of this steep learning curve, only a select few members within the community possess the capability to deploy the pocong effectively.
Generational Knowledge and Ocean Literacy
The deep physiological adaptation of the Bajau has made them renowned globally as sea nomads, drawing ongoing scientific interest in human genetics and breath-hold diving capacities. Passing this generational knowledge downward is central to community survival. Senior fishers like Nadir note that children are introduced to the sea within their first week of life, learning to travel marine environments without GPS instruments by reading stars, wind patterns, air conditions, and ocean currents. Through ongoing community expeditions alongside local conservation groups, elders ensure that younger generations inherit both the technical mastery of freediving and the traditional ecological frameworks necessary to protect local fisheries.
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