The Andaman sea of southern Thailand.
I'm going to meet the Thai sea gypsies, known as the Chao leh people.
They dive up to 40 meters deep,
using improvised air compressors
to maintain their underwater fishing cages
in pursuit of one of the most poisonous fish on the planet
a puffer fish known as the porcupine fish,
whose digestive organs produce a lethal toxin
a 1000 times more poisonous than cyanide.
my name is Raphael Treza
and I'm going to taste a potentially deadly asian delicacy.
Maybe it’s worth the risk!
I'm in Koh Lanta,
an island in southern Thailand
on the indian ocean.
It's about 20 km long and covered with jungle,
lined with long beaches.
About 15 000 inhabitants live here,
mostly muslim and buddhist.
they work in tourism, fishing
and rubber tree farming.
Koh Lanta is a base to around 400 settled Chao Leh,
which means "people of the sea".
these native peoples rely almost solely on the ocean
to sustain their unique lifestyle.
They are thought to be the very first inhabitants
of the Andaman coast of Thailand,
Myanmar and Malaysia.
Today only a few thousand of them remain,
and only a small number still live the traditional,
nomadic life.
In the 1970’s, the Thai authorities
pushed hard to convert them to Buddhism
and Thai language,
and in return gave them access to education and healthcare.
the chao leh use submerged cages to trap fish.
They also cast weighted nets to catch smaller fish.
the big fish like to eat small fish, they come here
and we catch them in the net
The fish are then dried and kept
or, sold to a local wholesaler.
If you’re looking for a fresh fish,
check for black eyes and red gills.
shark! shark!
big one?
on the boat, [while he was hauling in his net]
[IT WAS ALREADY THERE] Oh my God! My God!
He pierced the roof with his cap!
Very good for sea gypsies!
Tomorrow I’m going fishing with the Chao Leh,
but today I’m drinking a blue tea with Man,
who will be my translator.
I’m also joining some locals,
for some honey hunting on the beach.
In the morning
we leave with a team of 4 sea gypsies
to collect bounty from their cages.
I'm with Man, my translator.
Bangwan the most experienced diver is 56.
He has been Hooka diving since he was 16,
He regurlarly dives to a depth of 40 meters,
for up to one hour.
using an old improvised compressor
cobbled together with a rubber hose.
the boat driver has to continually maintain
his position among the currents,
Fishing with cages keeps the fish alive for the haul,
and allows protected species to be released.
Bangwan detaches the cage and the team pulls it up.
The Chao leh caught several of the prized porcupine fish.
There's also plastic, even at 40 meters deep.
The porcupine fish or Diodon Hystrix is a pufferfish.
it can dramatically inflate its body
by swallowing water into its stomach.
It's digestive organs contain a toxin
a thousand times more deadly than cyanide,
which paralyses the respiratory system
and causes asphyxia.
and There is no known antidote.
We sail to another location
to place the cage back onto the ocean bed.
To find the cage again, fisherman memorize
the location’s visual alignment
with the nearby islands and mountains.
National park rangers approach
to ensure that the Chao leh aren’t planning
to fish in protected waters.
We are cleared.
he knows how to cook the puffer fish?
yes
you can buy this fish in the market?
no, only for chao leh people,
they never sell, they eat.
this fish is very dangerous, I should tell you,
the poison contained in 1 fish can kill 30 people.
they had accident with this fish before?
we have all learned the danger of this fish
when we were children, so we know exactly
how to avoid the toxic parts.
Recently in bulon island, 6 or 7 people died
[because they prepared this fish in the wrong way]
this fish is especially good? He likes to eat it?
yes we love it!
It's delicious, we cook it in many different ways.
he sees sharks sometime?
near this island, there are really big ones!
sometimes i see tiger sharks as big as my boat!
he 's not afraid of sharks?
not anymore.
I see sharks often,
but we never get attacked.
the big ones are not really aggressive,
we get more nervous about the smaller ones.
The worst injury I've had
is being stung by a red lion fish.
I had to stay in the hospital
for 4 months the first time it happened,
and for 2 months the second time.
he doesn't have problem with decompression?
i often have issues with my air supply
sometime I dive too deep,
or the compressor engine fails.
I've nearly died many times.
Sometimes i return to the surface
and i've got cramps.
the pain starts in my legs, then arms,
all the way up to my mouth.
The weather is changing for the worse,
so we decide to return to shore.
there's poison here?
yes
The porcupine fish spines are also dangerous
they're covered with tetrodotoxin
Bangwan is now removing the toxic internal organs,
seemingly without taking any detailed precautions.
We are invited for a taste of porcupine fish
at bangwan’s house.
His wife is preparing it.
She's making curry with lemongrass.
sometimes they're cooking fish
they boil it and they use tamarind
and they take it directly from the balcony
The texture of this fish is delicate
and it marries with the lemongrass