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Sama-Bajau

This post was last updated by José of onez on Friday, 23 May 2025.

This video is about the Sama-Bajau people, also known as Sea Nomads, and how they live mostly on the sea in Southeast Asia.

The Sama-Bajau are Austronesian ethnic groups from Maritime Southeast Asia. They originally came from the islands of Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. The name refers to related people who usually call themselves Sama or Samah, and are also known as Bajau.

Many Sama-Bajau live a life at sea. They travel in small wooden sailing boats and use medium-sized vessels like the jungkung, timbawan, and other fishing boats.

Today, they are found not only in Tawi-Tawi but also in other islands of the Sulu Archipelago, coastal areas of Mindanao, and southern parts of the Philippines. They also live in northern and eastern Borneo, Sulawesi, and the central islands of Indonesia. Because of their sea-based way of life, they are often called “Sea Gypsies” or “Sea Nomads.”

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