Unlike most communities, the Bajau do not live within fixed national boundaries.
A viral video has brought attention back to the Bajau people — often described as the world’s last true sea nomads — whose lives unfold almost entirely on the ocean, between parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The video shared on X shows a glimpse of the Bajau people. The caption reads, “No Country, No Borders — Just Ocean: The Incredible Bajau Tribe. This is the only “country” with no land borders. The Bajau people live their entire lives at sea, between Indonesia and Malaysia. Many are born on boats, grow up on water, and never truly belong to any nation – making them the last true sea nomads of the world. Diving is survival for them. From a young age, they dive 30+ meters without equipment, with bodies adapted to pressure and eyes that see clearly underwater.”
No Country, No Borders — Just Ocean: The Incredible Bajau Tribe…
This is the only “country” with no land borders.🌊
The Bajau people live their entire lives at sea, between Indonesia and Malaysia. Many are born on boats, grow up on water, and never truly belong to any nation -… pic.twitter.com/P6c3ucZJjc
— NancyH (@NancyH_60) April 7, 2026
Unlike most communities, the Bajau do not live within fixed national boundaries. Many are born on boats, grow up at sea and spend most of their lives moving across coastal waters, without a strong attachment to any one country. For generations, the ocean has not just been their livelihood, but their home.
Fish remains their primary source of diet. But what makes the Bajau particularly unique is their extraordinary relationship with the sea. From a very young age, Bajau children are trained to dive. It is widely believed that the Bajau people pierce their eardrums at a young age to be able to dive more than 30 metres underwater without using any diving equipment and relying only on breath-holding and years of practice.