Who Are the Moken?
The Moken (Mawken, "Sea Gypsies") are Austronesian maritime nomads numbering approximately 2,000-3,000 inhabiting the Mergui Archipelago between Myanmar and Thailand, spending most of their lives on boats called kabang, demonstrating extraordinary aquatic adaptations. Traditionally fully nomadic, Moken moved between islands in annual cycles, living on boats 8-9 months yearly, coming ashore only during monsoons. Moken children develop remarkable underwater vision—they can constrict pupils and change lens shape voluntarily, allowing clear underwater sight without goggles, an ability Western children cannot develop. Moken dive to 20+ meters holding breath for several minutes, harvesting sea cucumbers, shells, and fish using spears. Traditional culture lacked material possessions beyond essentials, practiced animistic beliefs, and maintained oral traditions including tsunami legends. The 2004 tsunami killed remarkably few Moken—traditional knowledge of ocean signs allowed most to flee to high ground. Modern pressures include forced settlement by governments, loss of nomadic lifestyle, overfishing, tourism, and assimilation. The Moken represent unique human aquatic adaptation.