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When my wife and I spent four months living among local communities on remote islands in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, I was reminded of how exhilarating it is to explore “uncharted” territory.

Officially known as the Republic of Vanuatu, there more than 120 tribal languages and a total of 82 islands — though only 65 are inhabited — that make up this tiny volcanic archipelago. The people who live here — the Ni-Vanuatu or Ni-Vans, as they call themselves — are some of the most charismatic, friendly, and likeable on the planet.

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Although the prehistory of this remarkable island group is largely unknown, archeological evidence supports the theory that people speaking Austronesian languages first arrived around 4,000 years ago.

Vanuatu’s first recorded contact with Europeans was in 1606, when a Spanish expedition arrived and named the largest island Espiritu Santo. Over the next couple of centuries the islands were infrequently visited by questing, sea-faring explorers and traders — at least until 1774 when Captain Cook landed and named the islands the New Hebrides.

Then before long Catholic and Protestant missionaries arrived to convert the islanders to Christianity and western ways, followed by settlers who established cotton plantations, grew coffee, bananas, and cacao, and most successfully, coconuts. The name New Hebrides would last until Vanuatu’s independence from French-British rule in 1980, which came about during the brief Coconut War.

Today, although many of the islanders live in poverty by western standards, and there are limited employment opportunities, Vanuatu has more than once been voted one of the happiest places on Earth.

Perhaps this is because Vanuatu offers something that few places still possess these days — a life lived amidst untouched, pristine, and absolutely stunning nature.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"wihk0nnglakvvfdluxi5"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

For the people born here, the land is so much more than just land. They believe that the spirits of their ancestors came from the land — from the thick forest, from the mountain rivers, from the creeks, and from some of the most fertile soil on the planet.

This fertile land means that even without money the Ni-Vans can still live happily. At least while they stay close to home — in the huts that they build near to their plentiful forest gardens and the sea in which they know every fishing spot — things like food and shelter are free for them.

In the outside world everything has a price tag and because of foreign investment and influence, these things are pretty much out of reach for a regular citizen of Vanuatu.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"g9bmuwu38jm6wp3mdtrz"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

We spent nearly a month on Rah and Mota Lava — two small, remote islands that belong to the Banks Islands group of Vanuatu. They are pretty much in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless stretches of the Pacific ocean.

If you’re looking for a place to completely escape the busy, modern world and you like the sea, then this is the place to come. And quite naturally, as with everywhere else in Vanuatu, the people living on these islands are absolutely wonderful.

The isolation of these islands from the rest of the world — along with their pristine, resource-abundant natural environments — have led to the emergence of a unique culture and lifestyle.

The islanders rely primarily on subsistence living. Gardens, forests and the sea are the main sources of food. In order to eat, everyone has to be a skillful gardener, hunter or fisherman, and the skills are picked up from a young age — the children always watching and helping their parents.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"nawk0wmbkqmwz5qsawyd"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Fish and seafood make up a vast part of the diet for the islanders living in Vanuatu’s coastal areas. Free-diving and spearfishing are some of the most important ways of making a livelihood in these areas.

Below you see two of our local friends, Silas and Young, hunting for lobster. Visiting familiar spots where they are likely to find the crustaceans, the easiest time to catch them is when the lobster are feeding during an approximately half an hour period every evening.

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While on the subject of edible crustaceans, another commonly hunted species is the legendary coconut crab. Near extinction in most of the world, the coconut crab is abundant on Rah and Mota Lava, and throughout the surrounding Torba province.

As you can see below they grow pretty big, and I also discovered that it is the largest living arthropod on the planet. Those claws mean business too, but Joseph is very experienced at catching and handling these creatures. Here some village youngsters watch him as he separates the coconut crab from his bait — the coconut.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xiwltgyj68r8oa1m63wc"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In addition to plying the oceans for sea creatures, the men of Vanuatu are generally pretty amazing tree-climbers and are often to be found scaling banyan trees in the forest, hunting for flying foxes — a delicacy in many parts of Vanuatu — and birds with a slingshot. By the time Ni-Van boys are teenagers they are strong enough to climb some crazy big trees. David is one such teenager.

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One of the great things about being in Vanuatu was the rhythm of life and the rhythm at which I was photographing. Every day, I would only aim to make a few photos, and to spend time with only one or two people.

This meant I got to make more meaningful relationships, even friendships, with those that I was photographing and those who become involved in one way or another. Bob, the guy in the shot below, was one of those friends. While we were in Vanuatu, I decided to volunteer my photographic services to some local folks interested in developing tourism in their regions, and Bob at least matched my enthusiasm to make photos with his enthusiasm to take part in them.

Get on top of a dangerous, narrow rock? No problem! Go spear fishing? Easy! Climb up a banyan tree? How high? That was Bob’s approach.

The dude climbs trees better than a monkey, runs like a leopard, swims like a fish, and he is built like a freakin’ Greek statue. Below you see Bob climbing a Banyan tree while we were re-enacting a hunting scene.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ysuz6rybnspyhfzdxemm"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Not something you’re likely to see in many parts of the world, the men and boys of Rah Lava also fish with a bow and arrow in the crystal clear waters around the island — as they have done for countless generations.

When the tide is low, the clear water around the reef allows them to see beneath the surface. During festival time they will shoot the fish with the same bow and arrow they use to hunt the bats and birds in the forests.

Below you see Bob walking through the shallow waters of the reef at low tide. The little dude is his son — Jeff. He seemed like such a quiet boy when I first met him. Boy, was I wrong. Jeff was quiet in the sense that he didn’t talk much, but the kid was a bundle of energy. Five years old and he already climbs coconut trees just like his dad, runs around like crazy, and spits small berries from bamboo tubes at passing birds and bats.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"fcvjnvc1pipgbuccqwov"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There are deeper parts around the reef and in those places the men dive with the good old “lastic” as they call it — essentially a rubber and wood underwater speargun. I went down a couple of meters to follow Bob, as he looked in some underwater crevices, where the fish might be hiding.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qudljtggdu6zzajez0ld"},{"id":"ijjtnbka7ftwj6a7ai4m"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Vanuatu is also one of the greatest agricultural societies on the planet, every family has a garden and every village family lives from one.

The gardens are usually located somewhere in the bush and almost daily a family member will venture out there in order to tend to the crops or to bring some produce back home.

With this lifestyle, the islanders on Vanuatu have one of the longest life expectancies on the planet — another factor that contributed to their claim as one of the happiest nations on Earth. Below you see a young Ni-Van girl, Saron, returning from her family’s garden with the village dog.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"r8qov3wdzjnt2l1iuy7p"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Besides the remarkably unspoiled environment, there is of course the incredible Ni-Vanuatu culture. And although kastom — their word for culture and tradition — is undeniably disappearing, it hasn’t disappeared yet, at least not everywhere.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jzvjkbpsfectadh0np3s"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

One aspect of the culture that won’t disappear any time soon is the tradition of kava drinking. This muddy-tasting drink has been an integral part of the culture throughout much of the archipelago for centuries.

Back in the day, when the people lived their lives according to kastom traditions and imported religions had not yet reached the islands, kava was used for ceremonial gatherings and was only drunk within circles of privileged elders. Even today, kastom technically forbids women to take the drink, but it isn’t uncommon to find women holding “secret” kava drinking gatherings.

Prepared in various ways on different islands, on Rah the favorite method is to grind the kava root with coral. However it is prepared, kava definitely has sedative properties. Rather than turn to violence, a person who is “drunk” on kava is far more likely to lie under the starry sky and think of how wonderful life is, then, keep pondering on whether anything is really worth the whole of next day.

One could even argue that their taste for kava has saved the Ni-Vans from a culture of frequent alcohol-induced violence, which seems to be prevalent amongst so many from their neighbour Papua New Guinea. Here most Ni-Vans can’t afford alcohol, and as a result, it is rare outside of the nation’s couple of larger settlements.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"szjjeaurowjhortp6dj1"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Despite its remoteness and tiny size, Rah Island is also famed all over Vanuatu for its exuberant snake dance, inspired by the black and white sea-snakes that reside under large rocks off the island’s shore. The performers travel as far as Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, to demonstrate the dance at various cultural festivals.

Traditionally performed at weddings and special occasions, these days the snake dance has become a more regular performance for tourists too. Usually I think stuff like this is lame, but I’ve reconsidered that approach in Vanuatu, and started to think more about how the right kind of tourism can contribute positively to the whole community.

Below you see some of the dancers having their bodies and faces painted for the snake dance. I’m not actually sure if anyone who is not part of the dance group had been behind the scenes before (though I know people have since) because back in the day, for anyone else to see the dance preparations and the behind-the-scenes artistry was strictly taboo.

The paint used for the snake dance, as well as the materials for the costumes, were the performers’ secrets — and anyone who discovered these secrets could well have been killed, such was the ‘kastom’ law.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ficzvpc7fb1x04avppe7"},{"id":"lmx48hevzhw3qwvret8r"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

As I mentioned before, while on the islands of Rah and Mota Lava, I volunteered my time to help out a group of locals and friends who were keen to learn more about developing tourism in their communities.

One man in particular — Luke Dini, or Father Luke as he introduced himself — was able to see the big picture, which might at first seem unusual for a man in his late seventies from a remote, forgotten island in the Pacific. A retired pastor, I later discovered that Father Luke had also been a politician and secretary to the President of Vanuatu before he and his wife chose to return home to a simpler life on Rah.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"utwsgnipd4tv5qxvvseu"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Father Luke has a vision, and he feels that the presence of tourists on Rah could contribute to the entire community. Starting right from the canoe taxi across the lagoon from “mainland” Mota Lava — which every visitor must take to reach the accommodation, the only “hotel” on Rah, which he built — to the local fishermen and lobster and coconut crab catchers who would sell their catch to the improvised restaurant that serves the visitors, to the traditional dance performers who would share a unique part of the Ni-Vanuatu culture. The image above shows the view you wake up to while staying at Father Luke’s “bamboo hut hotel”.

Father Luke believes that everyone in the community can benefit from tourism, and that everyone interested will have a chance to earn a small income — something that can go a long way on an island like Rah.

Many young, ambitious Ni-Vans leave remote places like Rah in search of jobs in the capital Port Vila, on the more developed island of Efate, and in the town of Luganville on the island of Santo. Most often they come back disillusioned and disappointed by their experiences in the world outside. The money they can earn on the more developed islands is small in comparison to the sky-high expenses of living away from the island.

Perhaps local tourism could help keep young Ni-Vans closer to home, or eager to return, following further education, to be a part of a more vibrant, thriving local community again.

And it certainly seems that the images I spent time shooting with the locals from Rah island back in 2010 — you can see Bob again in the image below — have attracted at least a few other seekers of paradise and exotic cultures. Most notably, Rah has since been put into the spotlight by controversial photographer Jimmy Nelson, and was even visited by a CNN film crew who were shooting a series called The Wonder List.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ccjf6mymihhqwtdmm0sw"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

While there are still places where you can experience such an incredible culture, in at least some shape or form, I believe you HAVE to go.

And with recent tourism triggering a rebirth of ancient traditions, it appears that in some strange way foreign interest in the culture of Vanuatu’s islands has actually made a lot of Ni-Vans realize just how precious their culture is — both to them, and to future generations. Vanuatu is perhaps the only country I’ve visited where, as a result of foreign influence, some traditions are being reborn rather than dying out.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"zbrgbsgxgd7rj4uoa2vp"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

One of the more fascinating cases involves Franklin — a master wood carver living on Mota Lava. Franklin didn’t listen to his father when he tried to teach him the craft.

During the years after his father passed away, the occasional foreign visitor would remark on how amazing his father’s wooden sculptures and carvings were. Eventually, Franklin came to understand the value of what he had always taken for granted, but by then it was of course too late to learn his father’s craft.

Then one day, through a bizarre twist of fate, Franklin discovered that his father’s carvings were in fact so good that a museum in Britain had quite a few of them on display. He reached out to the museum and a catalog of the works was sent halfway around the world to his tiny island. Franklin then ordered some basic tools from Australia and started to learn the craft from the catalog photos of his father’s carved wooden statues.

Today, Franklin runs workshops for the youth of Rah and Mota Lava. He says they are both enthusiastic to learn, and also eager to be a part of preventing this traditional Ni-Van craft from dying out, as it almost did.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"sdj8vakh5vu9tnlmld2o"},{"id":"c2sa7ysp8sjbuei0zqo1"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

As a child of modernity and someone who checks their Facebook feed at least once a day, I have to say that I was surprised I “lasted” for almost an entire month on Rah Island. All we had was only occasional solar-powered electricity and certainly no Internet.

As clichéd as this may sound, it was while living on the island of Rah that I realised just how few materials things we need to be happy.

When pristine forests and oceans lie at your doorstep and when we can sit by the light of a full moon, huddled around a fire on the beach, and talk long into the night with wonderful, kind, thoughtful people — what more do we really need?

Perhaps the most encouraging thing for me was watching kids from Father Luke’s family. Dimitry, Shichin and Baisu — who you see in this order in the photos above — had all tasted life in the modern world, since they had spent considerable time in Vanuatu’s capital Port Villa. And yet not once did I see them unhappy or hear them complaining of being bored. Instead, they played endlessly in the ocean, fished, organised picnics, and practiced performing the famous snake dance.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ld2rx8tz7ac8tpyslvdt"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

During our time on Rah, I found myself constantly thinking what a great place it would be to raise kids. Since then I’ve actually become a parent, and now I really do wonder — despite lacking many of the material things we value and take so much for granted in the western world — is Vanuatu perhaps the closest thing we have to paradise on Earth?

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[]}},{"type":"divider"},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

On March 13, 2015 the Vanuatu archipelago was devastated by Cyclone Pam, one of the strongest in the island’s history.

This story is dedicated to the people of Vanuatu — some of the warmest, kindest, and most resilient people on the planet.

Support the Red Cross Cyclone Pam (Vanuatu) Appeal 2015

"}}],"slug":"close-to-paradise","cover":"w12e9nxjjvpc3rrnpvdf","location_label":"Vanuatu","place_id":"ChIJE2CSyF5giW4RaibQvs85gzQ","country":"VU","created_at":"2019-04-25T19:44:50.869Z","updated_at":"2019-10-04T21:42:03.710Z","published_at":"2019-04-25T20:02:33.123Z","user":{"id":76,"firstname":"Mitchell","lastname":"Kanashkevich","name":"Mitchell Kanashkevich","username":"mitchell.kanashkevich","bio":"A tirelessly curious world wanderer and a travel/documentary photographer. My main passion lies in capturing photos with a strong human interest. I am also the co-creator of Eyevoyage.com.","photo":"ldj0kohubou5gcfvrpc2","website":null,"twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"12":{"id":12,"title":"Ancestral Waters","description":"Descendants of some of the oldest people in the Philippines, the Calamian Tagbanua have adopted a sea-oriented way of life, living off the ocean and its resources. In 1998, Coron Island and its surrounding waters were declared ancestral domain for the Tagbanua, setting an empowering example for indigenous rights.","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

More than ten years ago, I spent time in northern Palawan during my Peace Corps days. Back then I passed a lot of my time in Coron and Busuanga doing marine surveys and I have always remembered how beautiful the islands were in this part of the country.

This time my travels brought me to Coron to photograph the Calamian Tagbanua people, one of a number of different indigenous groups found in Palawan. During the months I spent in Coron years ago I remember isolated fishing communities that harvested seaweed and octopus. I also remembered the picturesque tropical islands, especially Coron Island which stands tall above most of the others with its karst limestone cliffs.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"fa1ooke4uri5ldnuydam"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In part, it was these memories that made me want to return and explore the area with my camera. Much has changed since the last time I was here, but even with tourism booming in the area, we were able to spend time with traditional Tagbanua communities.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"pzockdzippunybfcjpqy"},{"id":"nq0ftxlx5dl1na1cfrnq"}],"caption":"Tagbanua fishermen and children in the shallow waters surrounding Coron Island."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Tagbanua people are descendents of some of the oldest people in the Philippines. It is likely that they originally came from Borneo and historically they had strong relations with Brunei. Today there are various subgroups of the Tagbanua throughout the province of Palawan. In Coron, the Tagbanua are distinct from the Tagbanua who live on mainland Palawan — not only in the language that they speak, but also in their cultural customs and general way of life. The Calamian Tagbanua — those living on Coron Island, on mainland Coron, and the surrounding islands — have adopted a sea-oriented way of life, living off the ocean and its resources.

The majority of Tagbanua here live in two communities on Coron Island (a different island than mainland Coron). In recent years Coron Island has had an influx of visitors, both foreign and local, because of its stunning beauty. Many tourists will spend a day visiting a few of the different lakes on the island which are open to the pubic, including Kayangan and the Twin Lagoons. However, many areas of the island are still off limits to guests who do not have permits to be there.

In 1998, Coron Island and its surrounding waters were officially declared ancestral domain for the Tagbanua people and they are now able to restrict where people may visit on the island. These title deeds give them the right to manage the area and preserve its rich marine and land resources.

Non-natives are not allowed to own land or even fish within the 22,000 hectares of land and sea designated as the Tagbanua’s ancestral domain. However, there are still some outsiders who fish within the territory.

We are told that many of the most beautiful lakes on Coron Island are sacred burial grounds for the Tagbanua and only those Tagbanua who own land on the island can visit them. So although getting to the sacred lakes would not be possible, Coron Island would still serve as our starting point for meeting the Calamian Tagbanua.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"iycbhklfhuoznkiqvfnu"}],"caption":"A small valley and clearing were a few Tagbanua families live on Coron Island."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Following a short visit to the crowded Kayangan Lake on our first day, I noticed two small native houses very near where all the tourist boats were passing. I saw someone in the water and was curious what he was doing, knowing very well it was probably a Tagbanua man doing some type of fishing.

I asked our boat driver if it would be alright to get in the water and see what was going on. I ended up spending a few hours with Landrey watching him spearfish and we were later invited into his home. I was surprised there were two traditional Tagbanua homes this close to the most crowded and visited lake on the island.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"hnpeqf5sqrcuk18xxjfs"},{"id":"pmtkswfod50jh3n4o8ur"},{"id":"kv4cbru1fngomjwolvqa"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Thanks to a lot of help from friends living in Coron town and a highly motivated boat guide, we ended up spending two days in a small community on a more remote part of Coron Island. There were about seven families in this community and they welcomed us to stay with them and photograph how they lived.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"crnppkzue8i1fdwsvidc"}],"caption":"A small Tagbanua community on Coron Island in northern Palawan."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The people we stayed with had a very relaxed and low key temperament. In part, this could be due to the island mentality, but it is also likely because these Tagbanua are no longer fighting for land rights.

Today the Tagbanua communities on Coron Island collect a fee from every visitor that comes to a particular area. Generally it’s 100 Pesos per person per stop (around $2.50). Kayangan Lake is 200 Pesos per person and this money goes to the two Tagbanua barangays on the island.

With increasing numbers of tourists, and bearing in mind that this income is tax free, this can add up fast for the community. If a tourist boat stops on a small beach for lunch, each person must also pay the fee to the particular Tagbanua family who owns that land.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"bahj5wtswsxxt8qwdzjn"},{"id":"zff1xw5qyjkfq69rroaq"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Although the community we stayed with did not request any payment, they may be receiving some type of supplement from the general fund. Water and food is the biggest concern for people here.

There is no water source in this particular Tagbanua community and land is scarce for growing crops. All of their water must be brought in from the mainland and the staple crop eaten here is a wild tuber called ‘kurot’.

Below you can see a Tagbanua mother, with her young son watching nearby, preparing kurot in the correct way to remove all of the toxins before it is edible. Rinsing the tuber in salt water is the final stage of preparation before it is then cooked and eaten.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ji38hoqlxvcfer6cd68y"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below you see two women on Coron Island who are wearing the typical dress of the Tagbanua people today. In the past, we were told that the Tagbanua’s traditional dress was fashioned from the bark of trees — the menfolk wore simple loincloths, supported by a woven rattan waistband called ambalad, while the women wore only brief wraparound skirts made from the bark after it had been washed and dried in the sun. Today, western clothes have found their way onto the islands, are now worn by all.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jitc6hyt1k0ih1irjo8c"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Calamian Tagbanua utilize many of the ocean’s resources. At each new place we visited, it seemed that we were always running into another type of activity or harvesting method. Gathering seaweed, sea cucumbers, high-priced live fish, spearfishing, net fishing and octopus fishing were some of the ones we encountered during our stay.

The sea cucumbers are harvested and dried to be sold on the foreign market. I’m not actually sure what one would want with these, but I was told that the larger lighter colored one in the photo below would sell for around 3,500 a kilo ($83).

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"p5ddvzwplyjh4rbnr2cp"},{"id":"chp4upotztpxsphv6lsf"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Here a Tagbanua man on Coron Island cooks his evening meal in his home as night falls. Many of their homes are built with native materials against the rocky cliffs or on the beach. There is no electricity in this community, so kerosene lamps are used after the sun goes down.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qv9fy4be89hpu1kwpzp6"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

One of the original reasons I wanted to visit the Tagbanua people was to document them gathering swift nests. This is another item that the Chinese love for their “bird nest soup” and the Tagbanua have been selling their bird nests to traders for many generations now. The Coron Island colonies produce some of the best swift birds nest in the world and climbing caves is a part of life for the Calamian Tagbanua.

The birds make their nest high up on the cliffs and within the caves of the island. I was hoping to find a family that I could document collecting the birds’ nests (the nests are made from the birds’ saliva) but I wasn’t fortunate enough to find one. We came during the right time of the year, as the nests are only collected from December to May.

However, within this time frame the nests are only collected at certain times when they are at optimal readiness, which happens every thirty days or so. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find a family collecting the nests during the time we were there. However, this makes a good excuse to visit again sometime in the future.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gx48t7hshk27gennf3mz"},{"id":"mbrmpy3fa8o04jjfi39d"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

We were also able to make some shorter visits to a number of different Tagbanua communities on Coron Island. Each one had a unique feel to it and all were fairly isolated from each other. There were also some single isolated homes on the edge of the island, mostly single families who were watching and protecting there swift nest land.

After swift nest season is over these families will go back to their main community, likely in one of the two main barangays on the island. Boat travel around the island is really the only way to get around and because of the tall cliffs there are very scarce paths or routes connecting different communities. Often, the families will use bamboo rafts to get around and to transport goods for sort distances.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"raxagvnoy2jd3ffah9tw"}],"caption":"\n\nNavigating on a bamboo raft is a common form of transportation for the Tagbanua, especially when only traveling short distances."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Early one morning on the northern coast of mainland Coron, we met a group of Tagbanua octopus fishermen heading out further into the ocean with their balsas. These men will stay out for most of the day returning early afternoon with their catch. Below on the left, you can see a Tagbanua man selling his octopus catch to a local on mainland Coron.

On the right you also see a young Tagbanua man looking for octopus using his floating balsa. Typically, the fishermen will use a jig to lure out the octopus and eventually it will get hooked on the jig — you can see an octopus jig in the middle photograph below. This is all done while laying on the floating balsa and looking into the water with their goggles.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"dkzb3vk8hfxnilough6t"},{"id":"ysw5uh79gize9pxwsz3x"},{"id":"w1cdqvdk6zdpudhghrht"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Tagbanua on mainland Coron are still ocean dwellers and rely on the sea for their food. However, a lot of the seafood they catch here is packaged and sent off to Coron town where it will be sent to Manila or other cities. Here you see a Tagbanua man cleaning his shark catch.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ru7yt0rhjg6zjjqxll7e"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In addition to plying the ocean waters, rice also forms a staple part of the Tagbanua diet. The Tagbanua women on the left below are pounding rice to remove the husks, and you can see one of these wooden pounders by almost all of the homes in this community. On the right, a Tagbanua women is weaving a natural mat for her home.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qmok6rv2xo1qry9wupaj"},{"id":"sajxkfjyqubfsowzaqln"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Here you see the path connecting two homes in the Tagbanua community we stayed with. As the terrain of Coron Island is mostly tall limestone karst rock, building paths is often somewhat of a challenge.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"a7zp4xbpxvpsl0poyz8d"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below you see a Tagbanua grandmother and her grandchild taking a break while collecting cashew nuts on mainland Coron. On the right, a young Tagbanua boy is cooking octopus for his family.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gbu4knufhtnoqfr4unkz"},{"id":"fuf617zxngilde9hmc0n"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There is no question that Coron Island is a beautiful place. However, I was amazed that even today there are still some very isolated Tagbanua communities, like the one we stayed with on the island. It makes me feel fortunate that we were able to visit this place, perhaps before tourism infiltrates more of the island. The tall cliffs, beautiful water, and welcoming people make it an incredible place to visit.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"kasmzd4pwh9u6t3zm779"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The time we spent on Coron Island was relatively short, and being one of the few success stories for indigenous peoples in the Philippines, we weren’t really sure what to expect from our trip there. By success story, I mean the fact that the Tagbanua now have full claim to Coron Island and the surrounding waters as ancestral domain.

And while we were there, we did encounter a lot of talk about the power struggle now going on between the Tagbanua on Coron Island. Now that the local communities have rights over their land there are conflicts over where the tourist money should go.

The Tagbanua of Coron Island have set a powerful example for indigenous rights in the Philippines, and I just hope that they will stay on course and figure out the best way to continue and improve their lives.

In the end, most of the Tagbanua people we met seemed easy going and happy with what they had. Below you can see a father and son who were having fun on their floating balsa after we photographed them harvesting seaweed beneath the ocean’s surface.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"nohmzoyx6qxl97cwopnd"}]}},{"type":"divider"},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

KATUTUBONG FILIPINO PROJECT

This story is part of the Katutubong Filipino Project, an initiative I founded along with my wife Nahoma, to bring about awareness of the Philippine archipelago’s indigenous peoples by visually documenting their slowly disappearing and changing cultural heritages.

You can also read about our time with the Tau’t Bato people, the ‘dwellers of the rock’, and with the Mansaka tribe from Compostela Valley as part of this series.

"}}],"slug":"ancestral-waters","cover":"rgwp8dvvfuh8qy4aibli","location_label":"Philippines","place_id":"ChIJY96HXyFTQDIRV9opeu-QR3g","country":"PH","created_at":"2019-05-10T12:00:02.945Z","updated_at":"2019-11-25T19:45:05.545Z","published_at":"2019-05-10T12:11:33.298Z","user":{"id":86,"firstname":"Jacob","lastname":"Maentz","name":"Jacob Maentz","username":"jacob.maentz","bio":"Documentary photographer based in the Philippines. I’m passionate about issues related to the human condition, culture, and humanity’s interactions with the natural world. jacobimages.com","photo":"s3onjbqzvbtxgnogukk6","website":"jacobimages.com","twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"13":{"id":13,"title":"Dwellers of the Rock","description":"During the dry season the Tau’t Bato’s homes are nestled within the beautiful, densely forested, and remote Singnapan Valley. When the rains arrive and valley floods the tribe relocate to live inside large caves. I made the long journey up into the jungle to spend time with one wonderfully welcoming Tau’t Bato family.","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The remoteness of beautiful Singnapan Valley in southern Palawan is what first caught my attention. I then started hearing intriguing stories of how the tribe who lived in the region moved into large caves every year to ride out the deluge of the rainy season. Thus, their name Tau’t Bato, which means ‘dwellers of the rock’. I knew that I would have to make the long journey into the jungle to meet these people.

Rarely visited by outsiders, this densely forested region is also home to Mount Mantalingahan, the highest peak in Palawan and an occasional destination for hardcore mountaineers. From what I could gather there really were very few individuals who ever travelled up into the valley, and we were only the second visitors to the area that year.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"m628qteiwbhds9ltuv5o"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Tau’t Bato — also Tao’t Bato or Taaw’t Bato — are really just a subgroup of the larger Pala’wan indigenous group. They speak the native Pala’wan language and practice many of the same beliefs as the Pala’wan.

The only difference being that in this particular community, those living in the area of Singnapan valley, the families take shelter in the large nearby caves during the rainy season. During the dry months each family has their own land and they are able to live in a house within the valley, however, with the very heavy rains and flooding during the wet season taking shelter in the caves is their best protection. Back in the 70s it was President Marcos who gave the tribe their cave-dwelling name.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jyhqzac7uoyrr4oewx4u"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

During the 70s President Marcos actually made multiple visits to Singnapan to explore the area. Our guide, Buano, and our host, Tumihay, who was just a little boy at the time, remembers the helicopters flying into the valley with Marcos and Imelda onboard. Tumihay said President Marcos only stayed for 30 minutes because he was afraid that the people might attack him. The helicopters brought clothes, rice and some other provisions to distribute to the tribe. This is the first time Tumihay remembers anyone in his family ever wearing western style clothes.

However, the reason Marcos was so interested in this area was because of the riches it held. For many months Marco’s team raided caves in the area — the burial sites for the Tau’t Bato — and collected all the gold and other valuables from the bodies. Buano also said that it is possible they also found Japanese treasure in the caves, because many of the caves Marco’s team explored were caves that the Tau’t Bato never went into.

Years later there were many stories that Marcos hid a lot of his wealth in the caves of Singnapan. During the 80s and 90s the area saw numerous visitors from all over the world searching for Marco’s hidden wealth. However, in reality, President Marcos was there to take all the wealth he could from the tribes, not to leave hidden treasure of his own.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gahnelp50ua4cxmihrfr"},{"id":"rvcujda7foucxuadnsff"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Reaching Singnapan Valley was itself no easy task. From Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, it is a day of travel on a not-so-comfortable bus. Once you have arrived in Rizal, it is then a strenuous day long trek by foot up the mountain into Singnapan.

The trail was rugged, slippery and the air was as thick as one could imagine hot jungle air to be. Every ten minutes or so I had to ring my shirt out from the sweat it collected. Our bags were soaked with sweat by the time we arrived and our bodies felt on the verge of collapsing.

We did have our guide, Buano, with us and we had employed two of his grandsons as porters. Having quite a bit of gear and all of our provisions for four days it was necessary (we had about 15 kilos of rice alone). Once we arrived we were welcomed by our host Tumihay and his family who were the most gracious people. Below you see their home the evening we arrived into Singnapan valley — it sits in a small clearing within the valley surrounded by forest in a very serene location.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"cdyyiw3uqf9n8gq99q5w"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Although a native Tau’t Bato, our guide Buano had moved away from Singnapan many years ago and built a small home down the mountain closer to the barangay center. He told us that he thought he was 87 years old, but like most other Tau’t Bato, even the children, he did not know his age exactly. I suspect he was a little younger than 87, but he hiked the trails like he was in his 20s and went barefoot the whole way. Below you see Buano and Tumihay eating kamoting kahoy by a gas light while telling stories a little later during our stay.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"t5n4774263paxv7f1juv"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

During our stay we had to be very careful of mosquito bites as Singnapan Valley is still very much infested with Malaria. It is a huge concern for the people who live in this area and taking preventative measures is a must. Here you see a Tau’t Daram man burning grass to help keep mosquitoes away from his home.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"v8s0qgzj6otmyjrfnuya"},{"id":"rz2l7w4mkvhpy6yr1ugz"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In 2005, three journalists from Manila came down with cerebral malaria while making a documentary about the effects of malaria on the Tau’t Bato. Reyster Langit later died while being treated in California and his two companions also died of complications from the disease, one in Manila and one in Puerto Princesa.

However, when we asked Tumihay about the three journalists who had died, he said he wasn’t sure if it was malaria or not, and we learned there was a different story that had circulated among the locals. Apparently, the journalists hadn’t been listening to the Tau’t Bato or respectful of their customs — instead carrying out forbidden acts such as defecating in the river during their stay. Upon being asked not to do these things, they had continued to do so. As a result perhaps some of the tribe members had put a spell or curse on the journalists, and this is what killed them.

This being said, Tumihay admits that he has had malaria in the past and one of his daughter’s children died as an infant because of the disease. It is certainly present and we proceeded with caution during our stay.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xpcghyvzlelwiucs3kvc"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Traditionally, the Tau’t Bato have always used blowguns to hunt in the forest, however today shotguns are now often the more practical option. Blowguns are still used on occasion, but shotguns are definitely now the weapon of choice for hunting in the forest. Below you see Panglima, a chief mediator of the Tau’t Bato. We met Panglima while hiking around the valley one day.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ibq3y31v2t8ur7xopz82"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

However, many families still regularly use other traditional method of hunting. Here you see Mariam, one of Tumihay’s eight children, making a bat catcher that will be used later in the evening to hunt for dinner. The spines on the edges of the branches are very sharp and will clasp to anything that touches them, including the bat’s wings.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"tyk8jcuauhv1j7rljhok"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Tumihay is one of those guys I could see myself hanging out with very often. Easy going, highly motivated and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He didn’t mind at all that I was right by his side while he was going about his chores throughout the day. Not to mention that his family opened their house for us during our stay and offered us what little food they had.

On our second day I asked him if he could show me around some of the caves where they live during the rainy season. Without any hesitation he grabbed his blowgun and said, sure, let’s go hunting and I’ll show you the caves. First, we walked near the entrance to a large cave while Tumihay looked for birds and other prey to hunt with his blowgun.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"dra4kneltyluobojcb6f"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

As it was the dry season none of the families from the valley were currently living in the cave, and although Tumihay wanted to show me the large cave where they live during the rainy months, the ladder to reach the opening was broken. Instead, we explored some of the other more accessible caves. One day, I will have to make a trip back during the rainy season see what it is like living within the cave.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"kl6590evieipu6qxyebl"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The next morning Buano took me up the mountain to another small clearing in the hopes of meeting an older man named Oki. One of the main differences with the Tau’t Bato and other Philippine indigenous communities we have visited was the distance between their homes.

Whenever we wanted to reach anywhere within Singnapan Valley it required quite a hike to reach our destination. Below you can see Oki walking back home through a path in the forest.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"on03yhoyfgue2iar9aw3"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Oki was still out in the forest collecting tobacco leaves when we arrived, and so we ended up talking to another family for a couple of hours. During this visit we met a young man who had a huge slash on his foot and could barely walk. Apparently, he had fallen a couple of weeks earlier and sliced his foot open on a sharp rock.

Without any access to medical treatment his whole leg had swelled up and his foot looked like something out of a horror film. I will spare you all from the photo. I told Buano that if his wife wanted to hike back with us to town in a couple of days I would be happy to buy them antibiotics and cream for the wound. She gave it some thought, but told us that she would be afraid to hike back alone. At least when we left, there were good signs, and the swelling in his leg was starting to come down.

We did later meet with Oki and his wife who were very friendly. Many of the Tau’t Bato men and women heavily smoke tobacco leaves, and during the thirty minutes we spent with Oki in his home he had three smokes

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"fwmspzrthgztdzzcrabn"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The women wake up early to start their work in the valley. I noticed that all of the able-bodied people of Tumihay’s family pulled their share of work, no matter their age. It takes them a lot of time to plant crops, maintain the fields, harvest, prepare the kamoteng kahoy, and cook for their large family.

The older children take care of the younger children and everyone stays busy. If the family is able to make a little money, Tumihay and his wife will hike into town to buy necessary goods such as salt, oil, and sometimes, if they are lucky, fresh fish.

Below you see two of Tumihay’s daughters heading up the river bed to a trail that will lead them to a small clearing to harvest kamoteng kahoy. Afterwards Tumihay’s eldest daughter sorts through their harvested kamoteng kahoy while her daughter sits nearby eating fresh sugar cane.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"j6oxtrny4ee09ndvyiow"},{"id":"x2we9tlzhvft9piptqlg"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

While we were there Ernisa, Tumihay’s wife, cooked their version of pancakes, a sweet treat prepared from crushed rice, sugar and oil. Ernisa spent all morning crushing the rice into a fine power and most of the afternoon cooking the fried cakes. I must say it tasted very good and she was able to sell all of them to neighboring families.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"wr4qjwfjnwshwst8pqhb"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Something I was looking forward to on our last night was seeing how Tumihay hunted for bats. After seeing the unique contraption his daughter made to harvest the flying mammals I was thinking that this could be a great activity to photograph.

Unfortunately, Tumihay asked me to stay back because he said the trail was dangerous and we would have to walk back down in the dark. Instead, I followed Tumihay and his wife for a short while into the forest before they went ahead up the mountain. They returned after the hunt about an hour later, with four bats in the trap, and all still alive.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"wn1b2mm4csjxhot43teg"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Tumihay’s children enjoyed playing with whatever insects or critters made their way into their home. During our stay we saw the children tie up locusts, chase praying mantis, and as you can see below they even had some fun playing with the live bats before they were cooked.

It was a poignant reminder to me that children really are a product of their environment. For Tau’t Bato youngsters their deep connection to the forest and its animals begins when they are small.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"osmamfusp4ruqzedx3iz"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Next Ernisa took the bats and started to prepare everything the family needed to cook them. Below, you can see her cooking the freshly-caught bat over an open fire. After the bat is lightly charred over the fire, it is then cut up and fried in oil.

Ernisa kindly gave me a small piece to try, but I had to politely decline as the only thought going through my head was, ‘bats carry rabies, right?’

In hindsight, I should have tried it.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ea07kn1g17sypidbrtcf"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Life in the valley is simple from our perspective, but the Tau’t Baut have everything they need. Food to eat, a roof over their head and their families. We certainly felt the close family bonds and love during our stay there, although it did take a little time for the children to warm up to us. They were incredibly shy, but some of the most beautiful children I have come across. I could have photographed Tumihay’s children all day long.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"eq7cl7undqwl2ssrbqiy"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There are certainly similarities between the Tau’t Bato and other groups we have visited as part of the Katutubong Filipino Project — arranged marriages being one of them. Like in Bukidnon, there is a dowry of sorts that is given to the women’s family in order to marry. Ultimately, because the women are in a sense ‘bought’ by the man, they are generally the ones who will carry the heavy loads when hiking.

Couples are arranged at a young age, although as I mentioned earlier no one in the valley knows their age as they do not keep track. I asked Tumihay — who you can see below taking a rest while out hunting birds in the forest — how old he was when he was married. He pointed to one of his daughters, who looked around 10 years old, and told me that thought he had been about that age.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"pkax9ms8fvwrw89i0nio"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

As the Katutubong Filipino Project moves ahead — and you can learn more about the project below — we are honored to meet people like Tumihay and his family. It is a great privilege to be able to share life with these remarkable people, even if just for a short period of time. It is my hope that in the end we may be able to bring together key people we meet along the way to gather and meet each other.

"}},{"type":"divider"},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

KATUTUBONG FILIPINO PROJECT

"}}],"slug":"dwellers-of-the-rock","cover":"t2fxv2ifwbz9erjtjyom","location_label":"Palawan","place_id":"ChIJcQU_alOOyjMRoCacoKxe-FY","country":"PH","created_at":"2019-05-10T12:15:02.725Z","updated_at":"2019-11-15T13:21:32.936Z","published_at":"2019-05-10T12:37:33.860Z","user":{"id":86,"firstname":"Jacob","lastname":"Maentz","name":"Jacob Maentz","username":"jacob.maentz","bio":"Documentary photographer based in the Philippines. I’m passionate about issues related to the human condition, culture, and humanity’s interactions with the natural world. jacobimages.com","photo":"s3onjbqzvbtxgnogukk6","website":"jacobimages.com","twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"41":{"id":41,"title":"Sunset at Bukit Merese","description":"From Tajang Aan beach head towards the hills where you can climb up the gravelly path to the top. Wander along the cliffs edge to find the perfect spot, then sit and watch the sunset unfold over the Indian Ocean. ","body":[{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jcbuffzse5yzbqqubv8n"},{"id":"pzwno2vyk5bbdrvrlaft"}],"caption":"You can make some wild doggy friends too"}}],"slug":"sunset-at-bukit-merese","cover":"qjgt58vjigloyymegdgo","location_label":"Lombok","place_id":"ChIJRceMPtK3zS0RydhQq8SJZkQ","country":"ID","created_at":"2019-06-28T05:11:40.361Z","updated_at":"2019-10-04T21:42:12.749Z","published_at":"2019-06-28T05:17:35.337Z","user":{"id":160,"firstname":"Claudia","lastname":"Fordham-Moss","name":"Claudia Fordham-Moss","username":"claudia.fordham.moss","bio":"Currently in Vietnam 🇻🇳 Looking for adventures across Southeast Asia","photo":"vf7xt6uufhrtkj6ozy8a","website":null,"twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":["inspiring_others","protecting_nature","protecting_culture","joining_community"],"supplier_types":["trip_creator","storyteller","ambassador"],"supplier_roles":["expert_traveler"],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":"lodging_b2b","supplier_transport":"no_transport","supplier_guiding":"no_guide","facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":true,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"50":{"id":50,"title":"Last of the Sea Nomads","description":"Marine nomads, the Bajau Laut, have lived in the waters of the Coral Triangle for centuries but their way of life and their uniquely intimate relationship with the ocean is being destroyed.","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Destructive fishing techniques are common practice amongst the coastal populations of the Coral Triangle.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The favoured methods are homemade fertiliser bombs and potassium cyanide, which have not only decimated reefs in the largest and most diverse marine bio-region in the world but destroyed countless human lives as well.

Of all these communities, the Bajau Laut have perhaps suffered the most. The Bajau Laut are some of the last true marine nomads. An ethnic group of Malay origin, they have for centuries lived out their lives almost entirely at sea, plying a tract of ocean between Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jk2tpex6dk9oewh1ubhi"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In the last few decades, many have been forced to settle permanently on land, but a dwindling number still call the ocean home, living on long boats known as lepa lepa. Traditionally, they fish with nets and lines and are expert free divers, going to improbable depths in search of pearls and sea cucumbers or to hunt with handmade spear guns.

But these traditional techniques have been largely replaced by cyanide and dynamite fishing, practices that are being driven predominantly by the live fish trade—an industry whose global worth is estimated at US $1 billion. The trade’s epicentre is Hong Kong, while Indonesia supplies most of the fish, accounting for nearly 50% of all imports. Target species are grouper and Napoleon wrasse, reef species key to the preservation of coral ecosystems.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Traditional Bajau cosmology forms a syncretism of animism and Islam, and reveals a complex relationship with the ocean, which for them is a multifarious and living entity. Spirits live in the currents and tides, in the coral reefs and mangroves.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

My point of interest is the potential for dovetailing the Bajau’s uniquely intimate understanding of the ocean with wider marine conservation strategies in order to facilitate them in conserving, rather than, destroying their culture and the spectacular marine environments they have called home for centuries.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"e3mw4ka9hhw51jnzjesr"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

This is a collection of traditional, handmade Bajau lepa lepa boats off the coast of Pulau Bangko. More and more Bajau are abandoning their traditional nomadic lifestyle to settle in permanent homes in stilt villages, but a dwindling few still choose to live the majority of their lives at sea.

In the photograph below, you see Ibu Diana Botutihe, one of the few remaining people in the world to have lived her entire life at sea, visiting land only intermittently and as a matter of necessity in order to trade fish for rice, water and other staples. The current generation of Bajau may be the last individuals to spend their entire lives at sea.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There is no doubt that some incredibly important knowledge is in danger of dying out with them, knowledge that could play an important role in preserving the Coral Triangle and the world’s reefs.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"vaf9pmp95esye29sssg3"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Another of the few individuals in the world to have lived all his life at sea, below you see Amja Kasim Derise cooking dinner at home on his traditional lepa lepa boat. The back of the boat is used for cooking, the middle for sleeping and the front for fishing.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"m9sguoviyjedkjdht0qt"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The current generation of Bajau may be the last individuals spend their entire lives at sea, and there is no doubt that some incredibly important knowledge is in danger of dying out with them—knowledge that could play an important role in preserving the biodiversity and ecosystems of both the Coral Triangle and the world’s oceans.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"mujuqvobcbvpdmiv2w9e"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Whilst few young Bajau children are now born on the boats, the ocean is still very much their playground.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

And whilst they are getting conflicted messages from their communities, who simultaneously refrain from spitting in the ocean and continue to dynamite its reefs, I still believe they could play a crucial role in the development of western marine conservation practices. Below you see a young Bajau boy, Enal, playing with his pet shark.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gt3apnc7ftupdn58syn9"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xm5g1v0mo6kfqnnleczm"},{"id":"uluy1dukdxfiuex2wig7"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Traditionally hunter gatherers, the Bajau have provided for themselves primarily by spearfishing. But as seas are fished out it has become harder for the Bajau to support themselves. Today, in additional to the nets and lines traditionally used for fishing, the Bajau use a handmade ‘pana’ for spearing their catch.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"hm4qem2fotdklpkkuxlu"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Catching a grouper the traditional way with hook and line, as opposed to cyanide, yields a much smaller catch and radically decreased profits.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"pa5axjl5fwhguagslkqe"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Whilst fishermen and export companies are making efforts to continue this more sustainable way of fishing, ultimately there needs to be a change in the nature of the consumer demand. Consumer awareness has the biggest chance of making a sustainable live fish industry a reality.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"sw3chl0nw7q3ykibkulv"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Bajau are also adept free divers, descending to improbable depths in search of food and other creatures for trade. Dependent on the sea for their food and livelihoods, they can create delicacies from a wide range of sea creatures.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"zqxkjwlbq4hwsawmlska"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qj4awvu2iuiovakuzgct"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Among those are stingrays, which the Bajau catch with nets and spears, using the tail section to make a yellow stingray curry.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qkvpoqgorto2asepvevc"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The sea cucumber, teripang, is also a staple food and valuable export product for the Bajau.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"onhwenh4bxjdtcqrf4lp"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below you see Jatmin, an octopus specialist, carry his freshly-speared catch back to his boat. The spearguns the Bajau often carry are handy for rooting these creatures out from the holes in which they hide.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qtn4le4cfgmpzvjqesax"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

While living with the Bajau, I got to know was Moen Lanke, who spends most of the year at sea, sustaining himself almost solely on what the ocean provides. Most days he wrenches clams from the reef with a tyre iron, holding his breath for long minutes underwater while the work is done.

The weight of the iron holds him down on the ocean floor allowing him to run along the reefs. In order to get around the problem of equalising (a technique used by scuba divers to balance the pressure of the inner and outer ear at depth) it is common practice amongst Bajau people to intentionally burst their ear drums at an early age.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"nhxloq5en4gut2jh2ls9"},{"id":"vldhsymquzgthrtrnvgf"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below Ibu Ani looks on as her son, Ramdan, forages the reef for clams. Since Ani’s husband died of the bends whilst compressor diving, she has relied on her young son to forage the reefs and support her during the months they spend at sea together. Here Ramdan is hunting with his handmade pana speargun.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jqfy4vliw8jupqj3s9cr"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"punlsgzbkgmsyhzarnxt"},{"id":"uyehsi7daz2dzogvlmby"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The practice of compressor diving, often in conjunction with cyanide fishing, remains common amongst the Bajau Laut despite being unsustainable, illegal and highly dangerous.

Young Bajau men, and often children, will routinely dive to depths of sixty metres with air pumped down to them through a hose pipe and a regulator—with no knowledge of the dangers inherent in diving to such depths they often ascend far to quickly resulting in nitrogen build up and the bends. Compressor diving is one of the main causes of unnatural death amongst the Bajau communities I have visited.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"p7biewxnehgvgr4is8yd"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below Pak Lapoli demonstrates using cyanide to catch grouper for the live reef fish trade. Potassium Cyanide devastates whole reef colonies as the deadly mixture is dispersed widely by currents and is thought to be more destructive in the long term than bomb fishing.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ortaphgjdewxh0m20rv2"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

While I was staying with the Bajau, Pak Usrin demonstrated how to make a fertiliser bomb. He assured me, however, that he stopped bombing reefs back in 2005. Instead, today he gets paid by Reef Check Indonesia to protect his local coral environment.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"esip4kdqnuoky0gibegg"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

However, the use of dynamite and cyanide is still leaving Bajau fishermen maimed and killed. It is also destroying the world’s epicentre of coral diversity at a rate which is verging on irreversible.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Ibu Hanisa, pictured below, lost her hands and the sight in one eye when a homemade fertiliser bomb went off in her house. There are human, as well as environmental, costs to destructive fishing practices.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"p3j6naav7kaxjm5aoik7"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In recent years, the Indonesian government has made a concerted effort to move the traditionally nomadic Bajau into settled communities on land. Basic amenities are scarce however, and the poorest claim that government promises of help have been hollow, leading them to return to the old nomadic way of life at sea. In Torosiaje, many Bajau left their government-provided homes and built this stilt village one kilometer out to sea.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"nu907cnlogsjffrfbbnh"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

These two children are from a Bajau family who have taken up residence on one of the innumerable uninhabited islands that line the coast of Sulawesi. Unable to eke out a living on land they have turned back to the sea in order to live a self sufficient lifestyle based around ‘cari laut’—searching the ocean.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"kw7jb6gp2g5fvwzrvfx5"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

For the children that are born in Torosiaje, it may be several years before they set foot on dry land. The stilt village has a junior school but older children commute to the mainland. Below young Bajau children wade out from Torosiaje village to look for sea cucumbers and shell fish. The path to self-sufficiency begins at an early age, as children learn the vital skills of foraging in the shallows.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gw0ihcla5h1sc0svo4os"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ybcyftb7bcepgtzqa7k8"},{"id":"o5cix4fk206z2jp0ehbo"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Many elder Bajau now live in such communities, their childhoods living nomadically on the ocean now distant memories.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"dljhmstkhebxpeibvy9g"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Despite the majority of Bajau now living in stilt communities and adopting cosmologies more in line with land-based communities, they still build their mosques over the ocean and practice a syncretic belief system that allows for a deep reverence for the ocean and the spirits that are said to inhabit it.

Night time prayers at a mosque on stilts over the ocean. In addition to the more widely practised mainland faith, the Bajau follow their own particular ‘Pamali’—a set of taboos and ritual observances that govern their interaction with the sea.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gcedod2zqy8adfyg8afs"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"dwgh39gt827dsctntw05"},{"id":"bthkmwl57fxbtalfrdee"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

A significant source of income for the Bajau is selling their catch of grouper to live fish export companies. At the end of the day a Bajau fisherman will take his catch to the ‘cages’—large underwater nets used by the export companies to store grouper and other live reef fish.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xz5yh7ddom4mb7ibubvi"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Below you see Tadadak, holding a grouper at the cages off Tomian Island. Grouper, along with Napoleon Wrasse, is one of the most highly demanded species in the live fish trade—this is unfortunate, as it is also one of the reef species vital to the preservation of the coral ecosystems.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"mfk8c1l3nlfr9qbebjuj"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

So how do you protect six million square kilometres of ocean, seventy-six per cent of the world’s coral species, blue whales, dugongs, turtles, pymgy seahorses, and more than a million humans?

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The coral triangle is a veritable Amazon of the oceans—home to thousands upon thousands of species of whales, sharks, turtles, tuna and other reef fish, many of which are critically endangered.

The Bajau Laut are one of the last nomadic marine communities in the world. For generations they have plied the waters of the coral triangle, moving between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. But in recent years their way of life has been pushed almost to extinction.

I initially came out to Indonesia in order to explore the potential of incorporating some of the Bajau’s indigenous knowledge of the ocean into marine conservation strategies, but the reality is that the Bajau as much as anybody are now responsible for a lot of the destructive fishing that is taking place in the coral triangle region.

Personally, I feel that in order to enact a genuinely sustainable and meaningful conservation program for the coral triangle region, we need to empower groups such as the Bajau to look after and curate their own environments.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

PUBLISHED BY

James Morgan

Photojournalist and film maker focused on projects that explore indigenous cosmologies and the human ecology side of the environmental movement.

jamesmorgan.co.uk

"}}],"slug":"last-of-the-sea-nomads","cover":"stp3kquy77dyens7a4he","location_label":"Indonesia","place_id":"ChIJtwRkSdcHTCwRhfStG-dNe-M","country":"ID","created_at":"2019-07-11T23:54:39.156Z","updated_at":"2019-11-25T19:47:06.400Z","published_at":"2019-07-13T13:24:16.394Z","user":{"id":195,"firstname":"James","lastname":"Morgan","name":"James Morgan","username":"james.morgan","bio":null,"photo":"pr8oy6wc6fwhi6p9fjyk","website":null,"twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"51":{"id":51,"title":"Resource Extraction in West Papua","description":"West Papua is one of the last great frontier wildernesses. Over 250 distinct indigenous communities live amongst spectacular rainforests, mountains and coral ecosystems. But all is not well on the world’s second largest island.","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

West Papua is one of the last great frontier wildernesses.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There are over 250 distinct indigenous communities who live amongst spectacular rainforests, mountains and coral ecosystems. But all is not well on the world’s second largest island — which now serves as a backdrop to one of the most severely underreported conflicts in recent history. Officially a special autonomous region of Indonesia, indigenous Papuans have been viciously fighting for independence since the 1960s, whilst big business and a ruthless Indonesian military seek to bolster their global economic standing by exploiting the territory’s immense reserve of natural resources.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Since 2004, foreign journalists have been controversially banned from West Papua, so reporting on human rights abuses and environmental destruction has been severely limited.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Yet Amnesty International estimates that between 100,000 and 400,000 Papuans have been killed since Indonesia took control of the territory in 1969. West Papua remains a militarized zone, allowing the Indonesian army to reap enormous profits from lucrative agreements with timber, mining and palm oil companies, while ruthlessly suppressing local people. The resources flow out to markets in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and China.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

When I travelled to West Papua I found desperately poor communities deep in the forest that had been coerced into selling their land for as little as US$1 a hectare.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

I flew over islands scarred by nickel mines, in what is the richest marine environment on the planet. I saw sediment flowing freely into coral reefs and visited communities in conflict, as nickel mining interests battle for concessions. I also witnessed firsthand the outcomes of migration, from prostitution in the industrial port of Sorong to evidence of an alarming AIDS epidemic.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ekeu3itrdboro5bude7y"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

West Papua is home to one of the most spectacular and abundant ecosystems on Earth. Its forests and oceans contain a bewildering variety of endemic species. The Raja Ampat archipelago, seen above, has been recently recognised as the most biodiverse stretch of ocean on the planet.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ita4adpv9cowc8qy8lnx"},{"id":"hzg3kgbavoxdj1a21nxs"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

West Papua has ‘special autonomy’ — designed to placate the independence movement — but really this just creates an overlapping of authorities, with resource extraction permits being issued by Jakarta as well as the provincial government.

There is very little transparency with these companies, and therefore very little accountability. The military are thought to own large stakes in combination with foreign investors. The mine pictured above left exports nickel laterite ore to Queensland, Australia.

The government has big plans for West Papua, including the introduction of nickel mines in Raja Ampat. The mine pictured above on the right on Kawe island has been temporarily shut down due to fighting between different parties. The mine is hoping to get the go ahead to continue operating soon, but at the moment the island is patrolled by heavy security and is causing a rift amongst local villagers. Due to its incredibly remote location, these mines are able to operate with almost no environmental impact assessment.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Waste and sediment are left to wash out to sea decimating fishing grounds that support local communities and suffocating coral reefs.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"b5wxle4a8pm9eug2umli"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

At Go village in Maya Libit Bay, even the children’s usually relentless cheer has been choked by sediment from deforestation and mining activities. Villages affected by the mining and deforestation have also been hit by serious public health issues after eating fish that have been contaminated by waste sediment.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"bvoqdsjjsuuu8lxuy1ra"},{"id":"rq8aihppn49e9aztpztt"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ujwucaedarhyjniitksv"}],"caption":"ABOVE: Above in the top left, you see villagers from Salpele village cooking fish over an open fire. In the bottom, you see a boat loaded with illegal building materials prepares to leave Sorong harbour destined for Petrochina, one of the largest gas and oil companies in the world. West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Traditionally the people of Raja Ampat have survived through artisanal fishing, but now there is a nickel mine across the water from them which will destroy their fishing grounds when it opens.

Now communities are divided and conflict is arising over whether or not to fight the mines and protect their waters, or to join the miners and forsake fishing for temporary monetary gain.

Some residents will be employed by the mine and welcome the move. Others are more long term in their thinking and strongly oppose it.

The trouble is that these islands contain only a finite amount of nickel making it unfeasible for companies to operate for longer than 5-10 years. Add to this the fluctuating market price of nickel and it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which, having destroyed their ancestral fishing grounds, the local people are left with nothing.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"qysq1ynobprjmmzixcls"}],"caption":"Sorong, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In order to facilitate the exploitation of West Papua’s natural resources, the Indonesian government is implementing a huge transmigration policy with thousands of immigrants arriving every week from islands such as Java and Sulawesi. A new economy is being built based predominantly around mining and resource extraction operations. The HIV rate is significantly higher than elsewhere in Indonesia.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"fwygeljlxi0s8hpnzpsq"},{"id":"w3vymxw6rbdm43hwxxge"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

On the left, you see Guru Jemat Steven Su, an elder of the Mooi people, who told me that his community sold their land for just five dollars per hectare. Big timber and palm oil companies, often with the support of the Indonesian military, are tricking indigenous people, and making them slaves in their own land.

On the right, Thomas Klasibin stands in front of what used to be the forest that supported him. Having sold his land, Thomas’ community now live in run down houses on the edge of what looks like a warzone. He must now pass security checkpoints in order to get to his village.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"yxlgdsftg6a05tyk0rce"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

After selling their land, the Mooi community have been left in extreme poverty without access to the forest which once supported them.

Having lost the forests they called home, Steven’s community now have to travel further and further to find food.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"thlraxabno9xmparpfsw"},{"id":"e2t2loxzbmgtjrjmwyls"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Papuan independence movement has been simmering ever since the incorporation of West Papua into Indonesia in 1969.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

There exists in West Papua an alternative government called the traditional people’s council. They have their own police force who cite human rights and environmental issues as their top priority. Above on the right, you see a member of the traditional police patrolling by river.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ne6l4nzq0ewwqle1f94p"},{"id":"tsud8hcrsyh4kvxaiaik"}],"caption":"ABOVE: Chaterine Bastian from Salpeli village, who sifts through almost a million dollars worth of pearls in just one morning. West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Just twenty minutes from Kawe mine is a pearl farm. The Pearl farm produces 80 million dollars worth of pearls a year proving that Raja Ampat’s unique ecosystem can be used to turn a significant profit without being decimated in the process.

Pearl farming is a financially and environmentally sustainable industry, and therefore a much better option than mining.

However, a number of local government figures are trying to shut down the Australian-run operation as the company is refusing to pay bribes in order to continue operating in the area.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"k1vfpki48dg3hc2t3cli"}],"caption":"West Papua, Indonesia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Here you see members of the Papuan Independence movement in Klamono village smoking cigarettes under a painting of Jesus wearing a West Papuan Morning Star flag. Their land, their power, and their dignity have been pulled out from under their feet.

They see independence as the only way to effect real change and have set their hopes on the international community to help them achieve it.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xyoibuy7yylsxdwmphxs"}],"caption":"Oxford, England, UK"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

An exiled freedom fighter stands in the storied halls of Oxford University during a gathering of international lawyers who are working to present the legal case for West Papua’s independence.

More recently, West Papuan’s have placed a great deal of hope in Indonesia’s new president Joko Widowo who has reopened negotiations with the province, having visited twice already this year. But what these changes will mean, and the extent to which they are implemented, remains to be seen.

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

PUBLISHED BY

James Morgan

Photojournalist and film maker focused on projects that explore indigenous cosmologies and the human ecology side of the environmental movement.

jamesmorgan.co.uk

"}}],"slug":"resource-extraction-in-west-papua","cover":"who23nnarsdq5fbs981v","location_label":"West Papua","place_id":"ChIJLQviub0KVC0RYsvHxfjBSVM","country":"ID","created_at":"2019-07-13T12:28:06.220Z","updated_at":"2020-01-09T23:22:57.055Z","published_at":"2019-07-13T13:24:05.102Z","user":{"id":195,"firstname":"James","lastname":"Morgan","name":"James Morgan","username":"james.morgan","bio":null,"photo":"pr8oy6wc6fwhi6p9fjyk","website":null,"twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"52":{"id":52,"title":"In Danger: The Great Barrier Reef","description":"With an unprecedented amount of dredging damaging its fragile ecosystem, UNESCO is threatening to downgrade the GBR to the World Heritage ‘In Danger’ list. And while financial and ecological decisions remain unaligned, everyone stands to lose. What’s at stake is much more than just a World Heritage status.","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

For decades, the Great Barrier Reef has enjoyed World Heritage Status and been synonymous with diving, tourism and with Australia.

But in June of 2014, UNESCO threatened to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef to the World Heritage ‘In Danger’ list; a category populated predominantly by war-torn and developing nations. The final decision will be made next month, in February 2015.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"cr2vjn28ojbt5nadqhmz"}],"caption":"ABOVE: A small island and fringing reef seen from the air. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef ecosystem on the planet composed of almost 3000 individual reefs. Queensland, Australia. "}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

UNESCO’s concerns are focused on the issue of industrial development along the reef. Queensland has one of the largest deposits of coal, and with developed markets slowly turning their back on dirty energy, there’s huge momentum to dig it up and ship it out as fast as possible before falling prices make it no longer viable.

To do this requires unprecedented amounts of dredging, both to expand existing coal ports and to create new ones, many of which are located within the boundaries of the Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Dredging is problematic for a few reasons. Firstly it digs up seagrass meadows, removing valuable grazing areas for dugongs and turtles, secondly it creates a toxic soup of heavy metals which can severely impact on the health of marine life. And lastly, the dredge spoils are then dumped back out onto the Barrier Reef and can travel for miles up the coast clogging coral polyps and smothering entire reef systems.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"c0dfmxhw1n4cc8ijmsml"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"xrovglz20jxkkcibd3xh"},{"id":"qwb3qbaa8xpg4zfonsx0"}],"caption":"ABOVE: Gladstone harbour. In the top photograph you see ships leaving the harbour and heading out onto the reef. Coal makes up 70% of exports from Gladstone harbour, which currently amounts to around 50 million tonnes per year."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Gladstone harbour has been the focus of the debate around port expansion in Queensland. The port of Gladstone has permission to dredge 32 million tonnes of sea bed in order to expedite the shipment of coal and LNG from Curtis Island.

Reports from fishermen of diseased fish, as well as an environmental disaster which coincided with a leaking bund wall in 2011, resulted in dead turtles and dugongs washing up on the beach and millions of tonnes of dredge spoil spilling out into the harbour and inner reefs. The local fishing industry has collapsed as a result.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"izu2geeje46won4hmmjh"}],"caption":"ABOVE: The Fitzroy Delta is the largest delta flowing into the Great Barrier Reef. Consisting of shallow water areas and mangroves it plays a critical role in filtering agricultural run-off and in stopping pesticides and sediment flowing out to the reef."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The Great Barrier Reef is unique in that most of its threats come in the form of onshore industry. Before the recent push to expand coal ports, the main industry in the firing line was agriculture. Rainwater falls inland, travels across farms picking up pesticides and fertiliser and washes down the rivers, through deltas and out onto the barrier reef.

Of particular note is the relationship between increased nitrogen in the water and the catalysing of Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) cycles. Traditionally COTS would spawn on the north of the reef, around Cairns, once every 20 years or so.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"chqfupm6rw7glrlohgwn"}],"caption":"ABOVE: A worker injects a Crown of Thorns Starfish with a new toxin developed at the James Cook University. Cairns, Queensland, Australia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

In recent years the numbers of these starfish, whose primary food source is coral, has got out of control and boats are now patrolling the reef specifically tasked with eradicating them using a toxic injection. Previous eradication techniques required injecting every arm of the starfish in order to ensure that one arm didn’t break off and spawn another starfish. It’s now possible to kill them with just one injection.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"cnx4eo4p371yf0aapykx"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"dyzz2njy0ruy5e5ogwb5"},{"id":"dk7ompennjpybkvhqbeu"}],"caption":"ABOVE: Gerry Deguara and his sons, Sam and Joe, at their sugarcane plantation outside Mackay. Gerry has been working with WWF and others to implement new farming practices which reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilisers which are getting out to the reef. Mackay, Queensland, Australia"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Agriculture, however, has taken huge strides forward in both accepting its responsibility for deteriorating water quality and in trying to do something about it. Farmers, state government and conservation groups such as WWF, have been working together to develop new farming methods that limit the run-off from farms and, in doing so, also help farmers’ businesses.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"zaxgf3m5usuqophhovzr"}],"caption":"ABOVE: A manta ray swims off Heron Island research center. Notoriously difficult to study, no real estimates exist for how many are left in the wild. "}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

The tourism industry, one of the largest employers in Queensland, bringing in $6 billion annually, is also actively engaged in trying to protect the reef. For every tourist who visits the reef, tour operators pay an environmental management charge which ostensibly goes to ensure the reef is protected.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"wnja07upkakyubtpsc2u"},{"id":"tg7uauc6ozxf7x1kguey"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"d8txugdduj4ivqamutpy"}],"caption":"ABOVE: Tourists gather on a floating platform on the barrier reef to watch fish being fed. Tourism operations are allowed to feed up to 1kg of fish per day. Scientists say the impact of this is minimal. Below a young girl looks out from a submersible room suspended over the reef. "}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Understandably, both tourism operators and farmers feel there is a real equity issue on the reef. They are making sacrifices, both practical and financial, to protect the reef’s natural capital and the sustainability of their businesses. Meanwhile the coal export industry is dumping millions of tonnes of dredge spoil onto the reef and receiving tax incentives for the privilege.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ea6wiojbbwtla0jrfxzy"}]}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"rxk8bsrobkifmeui87k5"}],"caption":"ABOVE: A shovel nosed shark takes off in the waters around Heron Island. Originally identified as a shark on account of its prominent dorsal fin, the shovelnose is know classified in the ray family."}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

WWF’s recently released Living Planet Report echoes the voices of people I met on the Great Barrier Reef. Government policy moves too slowly, with the pressure of climate change threatening to wipe out the reef entirely within the next 100 years, industry stewardship is the only solution to the problem on the Barrier Reef, and many like it globally.

The Great Barrier Reef is more than capable of generating enormous annual revenue sustainably. But if our financial and ecological decisions remain misaligned, everyone stands to lose. And what’s at stake is much more than just World Heritage status.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ayfx5hbq0fjox7aolkkr"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

"}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

PUBLISHED BY

James Morgan

Photojournalist and film maker focused on projects that explore indigenous cosmologies and the human ecology side of the environmental movement.

jamesmorgan.co.uk

"}}],"slug":"in-danger-the-great-barrier-reef","cover":"uwhx7hjfrr6hpiw1e2hk","location_label":"Australia","place_id":"ChIJ38WHZwf9KysRUhNblaFnglM","country":"AU","created_at":"2019-07-13T13:02:46.374Z","updated_at":"2019-11-15T13:21:33.726Z","published_at":"2019-07-13T13:23:51.440Z","user":{"id":195,"firstname":"James","lastname":"Morgan","name":"James Morgan","username":"james.morgan","bio":null,"photo":"pr8oy6wc6fwhi6p9fjyk","website":null,"twitter_username":null,"instagram_username":null,"role":"traveler","supplier_motivations":[],"supplier_types":[],"supplier_roles":[],"supplier_countries":[],"supplier_regions":null,"supplier_company":null,"supplier_lodging":null,"supplier_transport":null,"supplier_guiding":null,"facebook_url":null,"tripadvisor_url":null,"linkedin_url":null,"whatsapp_preference":null,"rating":0,"reviews_count":0,"instagram_followers":null,"verified":false,"expert":false}},"62":{"id":62,"title":"Nicolás Marino: in Search of Humanity","description":"\"My journey is all about capturing the soul of the earth.\"","body":[{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

My journey is all about capturing the soul of the earth.

Nicolás Marino is a photographer, an architect by profession, a 3D artist, an avid story teller... but at heart, he is a simple traveller passing through life; \"a nomad, an adventurer wandering the world in search of understanding life and existence, trying to make sense out of it all,\" as he puts it.

He has spent the last 22 years of his life dedicated to the art of traveling, visiting 88 countries and hundreds, if not thousands of cities, towns and villages -- each of which has contributed something to the shaping of the person he is today.

Though he has wandered the Earth in many different ways, his preferred mode of transportation has become the bicycle -- having ridden 87,000 km (49.710 miles) so far. Traveling on bicycle has allowed him to fully immerse himself in the land through which he rides, helping him to relate very intimately to the places and the peoples he encounters along the way.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"oyo3gbhb0vdnxx8iodaa"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Driven by a fascination in what it truly means to be human, his mission on the long road is to engage with people that see the world through a radically different perspective than the one that he was brought up with -- he explains that such an openness to other ways of being \"keeps both my heart and mind fresh, open and alive. It helps me find my own path and make my life richer. It is in that intimacy that is built through the empathetic connection with other human beings where my spirit thrives.\"

Through his experiences on the road and with these remarkable people, he has come to viscerally understand the fundamental truth that \"no matter how different our cultures are and how far apart from one another we may seem to be at first sight, underneath we are all the same. We all seek the same basic needs. We all share the same instincts, we all laugh and cry, smile and glare, fall in and out of love. However, what is astonishing is to discover how essentially similar we all are at creating and reacting to any of these emotions. Ultimately, what we all seek is happiness.\"

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"jovjpvtkj3w2yd9tv91o"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Through his stories - documentations of his own experiences - Nicolás seeks to portray the human condition, the people, and the environment that they live in. He does so \"in the uttermost dignifying way, because behind every single person in this world there is an underlying dignity, there is humanity, there is something inside every one that intrinsically links them to me and links me to them.\"

Nicolás is an inspiration to us at Untrodden. He has lived the majority of his adult life honing the art of immersive travel, learning from the places and the people he has encountered, and pondering the important questions in life - who are we? and what is this all about?

He shows us the immense potential for growth and the development of wisdom that can result from traveling with an open mind and heart.

There is much to be learned from Nicolás about how to travel meaningfully and intentionally. We are honored to have had the opportunity to speak at length with Nicolás, and are thrilled to share his insights...

"}},{"type":"divider"},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ciucwjz5gvsjmcodtmij"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Can you tell us a little bit of your life story? How did you end up here?

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived there until I was 28. I have always been driven by an insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge and wisdom. Even though I am an architect, I have multiple other skills that I have put to use throughout life in order to make a living while truly enjoying what I do -- which I think is one of the foundations of a happy life.

I have been traveling the world for about 23 years now, in many different ways. After growing up traveling with my parents and driving across all of Argentina and neighboring countries, I started traveling as a young backpacker with very little money. After 10 years of backpacking, I converted to cycle-traveler, which was a true turning point in my life. Since then, I have cycled about 55,000 miles across 4 continents. Since leaving Argentina, I've been living and traveling mostly in Asia, Africa and in Australia (where I'm currently living). I have been to 89 countries so far.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"mzwrbf6gkxesgvldapt5"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

What makes you tick? What drives you in life?

Curiosity has been the driving force in my life from the very beginning. I've always been an extremely curious person, and it was that very curiosity that drove me to discover what truly makes me tick: which is humanity itself - people.

I have a true fascination for people. I grew up thinking that it was a good thing to be independent, as we live in a world that constantly feeds this idea of independence. And if you were to ask those that know me or read about me, most would tell you that they consider me an independent person.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. I happily and proudly consider myself an extremely dependent person. Throughout my life, both while traveling and while stationed somewhere, I have learned that there's a big difference between having an ability to be self-sufficient (ie, to do things on your own) and being independent.

Nobody is independent. We must banish this idea of independence because it doesn't exist. We are all intrinsically connected. We are all interdependent -- that is the way of the world.

And we are as much dependent on others are others are dependent on us. We could not exist at all if it weren't for absolutely everything and everyone that surrounds us. I learned this through my spiritual practice, but it was through my travels and the endless stream of experiences along the way that I understood this interconnectedness clearly, coming as a revelation.

I believe that we have a deep responsibility towards others -- because you understand that every single action you perform has a direct and indirect impact on others and others' actions have an impact on you as well.

Understanding this has made me more open, more caring, more loving, and more compassionate. As this transformation occurred, I realized that these values are the true sources of happiness -- and they are the ideals that drive my entire life and the ones I cultivate on a daily basis.Type here

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"o994yswoxpsqftb0xena"},{"id":"clvz5ntmyvrdmqlxmve7"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

What are the most valuable lessons you have learned from your years on the road, immersed in cultures vastly different from your own?

If there's anything that I have learned from different cultures, it is that we are all pretty much the same. You can put hundreds or thousands of layers on top of people, you can dress them differently, you can hear them say different things in different ways, but in essence we all share exactly the same basic needs -- which are love and happiness. From all people, all over the world - all cultures alike - I learned that lovingkindness and compassion are the most important things in life and the true sources of lasting happiness.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"kiggmwvfiwqldnu1w36b"},{"id":"fvdknwd9ptcfxpn5zlkq"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

To frame the question differently, what can we as Westerners learn from the traditional, nature-based peoples and perspectives you have encountered? Pieces of “Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World,” as Wade Davis puts it...

Let me say first that as critical as I can be of our over-esteemed Western culture, I realize that in the end, we can and should all learn from one another.

I used to be convinced that we, as white Western men and women, were mostly evil. Not anymore. I believe we all evolve through life and our paths are different. What you learn in one, you miss in another -- so ideally we should all exchange our experiences thoughtfully and willingly to learn, keeping our hearts and mind open to enrich each other.

So while I believe that we've got a lot to learn from traditional cultures, I also believe that they could learn a bit from us as well -- from our good things of course, which aren't a few either.

That being said, I think that the most remarkable feature of the perspectives that I have seen throughout traditional nature-based cultures is a deep sense of community.

They seem to understand the importance of community in a way that we do not in the West. And why is that important? Because of what I said above: interdependence. In most traditional cultures, they clearly understand that they all need each other to thrive and survive. Thus, they are more caring, more loving and more hospitable to each other.

So, again, I think it is imperative that we banish this idea of independence. We could do ourselves a huge favor if we re-connected with these values that still prevail in traditional and less materially-advanced cultures. Note that I say re-connect, because we used to be more like them -- we come from what they still are!

It is not foreign to us, we just diverted from the right path. Fortunately, once in a while some events happen and they bring us naturally together: unfortunately, it is almost always due to a catastrophe. But the point is that when we truly need each other, we do come together. We just need to do this more often on a daily basis and not only when tragedy strikes. That's something we could definitely learn from the collaborative space of communities.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"uy1k6ra7x32f21sqaibn"},{"id":"ktkewpuxlmy66tmgwbkh"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Do you have any insight or words of wisdom pertaining to how we should travel in such a way that our tourism is a benefit to the communities we visit? As individuals, what can we do? Have you discovered best practices for respectfully engaging with local communities?

This is a very difficult topic that is getting even more difficult as time passes, population grows bigger, and we all become closer. As a well-seasoned traveller, I reflect on this issue very often. It is a very deep concern of mine, since I've seen across the entire world the catastrophic effects of tourism (and not only mass-tourism as it was usually the case but now many other forms of tourism too) on local communities, especially in regions of the world deeply affected by material poverty, where local people become more vulnerable to the temptations of quick cash.

There are many ways in which I have tried to improve myself as a traveller. First of all, I strive hard to minimize my impact everywhere I go. I think one way to do this is to keep reminding myself that wherever I go, I go as a guest, and I should behave as such. When I get angry or frustrated at things that happen, I think it is critical to remind myself that I put myself in that situation in the first place and that nobody forced me to be there. Thus, I should be the one adapting and not the rest to me.

In a nutshell, my approach to traveling is one of humility and openness. It does not mean that I will accept or condone everything I see, but it means that I will listen from a position of respect and that I will not try to impose my view of the world on others, let alone judge everyone and everything based on it.

I do not hold the ultimate truth of anything, so I believe in listening first and sharing if asked. When you approach people with true respect, openness, humility and willingness to truly listen, most people will embrace you as one of their own (because that's what you are in the end, right? another human being).

Lastly and no less important: SMILE! always smile!

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"gnfhw3pcspk6rwrigtce"},{"id":"xwwgnptvdgdbejsmifb5"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

I think the best way to benefit the communities we travel to is to minimize our impact through this humble and open approach, mixed with a genuine interest to engage with honesty and respect. Also, we shouldn't go anywhere believing that we have to give them something or necessarily do something for them (unless we are going there to help in something specific in which case it's not about traveling). This Western play-god notion that we must save others - that we always know better - is rooted in a feeling of unfounded superiority and has lead to numerous huge cultural catastrophes.

Finally, it is of utmost importance to comprehend that wherever we go, we are meeting people like you and I. It isn't and should never be a circus experience. It is not a human zoo. People might dress or think differently and practice different rituals but they shouldn't be there for your selfish entertainment. The experience should revolve around engaging people, connecting with them, exchanging, sharing. Not about giving and taking, it is not a commercial transaction but just another human encounter.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"btczrpkpaahzzw3benk1"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

We believe that travel and immersion in different cultures has the power to reveal assumptions and biases engrained in our own perspectives. Have your experiences with other cultures led you to identify and challenge any such assumptions that you wish to share? Such stories can provoke similar introspection in our readers.

When you travel with an open heart and mind, you allow the world, the people, and the experiences to change you.

It is one of the most enlightening experiences to allow yourself to change, to prove yourself wrong (or truly confirm that you are right), to finally understand that you have no ultimate truth.

You are evolving. I have seen my beliefs and my perspectives challenged way more times than it is physically possible to remember. It's one of the healthiest exercises that anyone could put herself through and I highly recommend it to everyone.

In the end, biases will always be there, but that's not the issue. The issue is what you do with those biases. Will you let them crystalize and shape forever what you think? Or will you always be willing to tear them apart and reshape into different ones that will lead you to a broader and more open mindset? I believe the latter is the best and, speaking for myself, it has definitely made me a happier person.

"}},{"type":"images","content":{"images":[{"id":"ir374ad0pk3oaimvh4lp"}]}},{"type":"text","content":{"body":"

Do you have anything else to add that you wish to share with the Untrodden Community?

Be thoughtful, caring, loving and compassionate when traveling (and always in life, of course). Open your heart and your mind to others, let others and experiences change you, let yourself change.

Be a sponge! Pursue your curiosity with honesty and care -- inquire, absorb, learn. Listen more and talk less.

Step out of your comfort zone as many times as possible in your life. Try to live more often there than where everything is easy and comfy. Otherwise you'll grow way slower and maybe even start going backwards.

Understand that you are not independent. You are interdependent, you wouldn't exist without others, and nothing would have any meaning without others. You need everyone as much as everyone needs you. Be responsible about that!

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Why did you decide to start leading experiential travel tours?

After traveling throughout the region myself for quite sometime I wanted to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with others. Keeping trips fresh and interesting for guests is a big part of the job.

What are you most excited to share with tourists?

I very much like facilitating truly local, non-curated interactions. For example, when out cycling, we may stop at a local house or pagoda and the guests are free to make their own interactions with the temporary hosts. Of course Southeast Asia is a treasure trove of culinary delights and food is always a large topic of conversation. For me I find Cambodia’s cuisine very understated and overlooked in preference to its larger neighbors.

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What fears do you have about making the lands where you lead and lifestyles of the people that you work with more public?

Before we develop a new tour we take into consideration the effects of our presence, especially in more remote areas. We aim to keep a small footprint so as to minimize the effects of visitors on the local population. We will carry out inspection trips and talk with community leaders to ensure that we are not affecting any local laws or taboos. In reality, in many parts of Southeast Asia, opening more remote areas up to sustainable eco-tourism activities can have a positive impact on the forests and lands as it provides employment and discourages the local communities from hunting the wildlife and cutting down trees.

What specifically about the culture/history/environment of the area where you lead would be beneficial for a traveler to learn about before taking their trip?

Certainly in Southeast Asia, many of the people outside of the large cities can be very conservative. It's good for people to have a little knowledge of the rights and wrongs when making introductions. The history here is very diverse, I feel there is a lot to learn. I have a personal interest in the history of the region and am still learning after many years here. We have excellent trip leaders who are able to supply a wealth of knowledge to our guests.

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