Bajau Wooden Diving Mask

This image shows a bajau diver displaying a traditional wooden diving mask melissa ilardo is pictured using a portable ultrasound machine to measure spleen size in a member of the bajau population.

Bajau wooden diving mask. The bajau people are able to dive tens of metres underwater with no conventional diving aids. Thesis project to find out whether and how they adapted to sustained deep dives. For over 1 000 years the bajau people known as sea nomads have traversed the seas in houseboats hunting for food by free diving with spears. Ilardo was intrigued by the bajau be joe and proposed a ph d.

87 19 87 19. Omgear diving mask snorkeling gear kids adult snorkel mask dive goggles silicone swim glasses scuba free diving spearfishing anti leak anti fog neoprene strap cover by omgear 18 87 18. She suspected this involved the spleen since contraction of the spleen is a key part of the mammalian diving reflex and some deep diving seals such as the weddell have enlarged spleens. Astonishingly these deep dives are performed only with a wooden mask or goggles and a weight belt.

Dr ilardo explained that the spleen was an obvious candidate for studying potential adaptations. Instead they rely on weights handmade wooden goggles and a single breath of air. When the divers are working all they have in the way of equipment is a weight belt goggles and a wooden mask. She remembers diving with pai.

In the summer of 2015 melissa ilardo got to see how good they are firsthand. As a result the southeast asian population. Beautifully handcrafted wooden goggles made out of teak wood. In addition to having a way of life that hasn t changed in centuries the bajau people have also given scientists a way to study how genetic adaptation is affected by our environment.

Own a piece of diving history.