The Moken are an indigenous tribe who live on the Islands of Surin, about 60km off the coast of Thailand. They make their living from the Sea, catching fish and also scavenging from the Sea floor. Recent scientific tests have shown that the underwater eyesight of Moken children is more than 50% better than the underwater eyesight of European children, seemingly they have somehow trained their...
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The Moken are an indigenous tribe who live on the Islands of Surin, about 60km off the coast of Thailand. They make their living from the Sea, catching fish and also scavenging from the Sea floor. Recent scientific tests have shown that the underwater eyesight of Moken children is more than 50% better than the underwater eyesight of European children, seemingly they have somehow trained their eyes to focus much more clearly underwater in order for them to catch fish and pick things from the Sea floor. Known as 'Sea Gypsies', they once led a nomadic life drifting between the islands off the coasts of Burma and Thailand. Now it is very difficult for them to go over the Thai/Burmese border, and a ban has been placed on the cutting of trees on the Surin Islands, making it impossible for them to build the boats they need to travel.
All the Moken survived the 2004 Tsunami. According to news reports, as soon as they saw the sea begin to recede, they fled to higher ground. Their villages, located on the beaches of the Islands, were destroyed. The Moken, having no written language, relied on the words of their ancestors, who said that if the sea ever retreated a great distance, it would come back and swallow everything in it?s path.
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