Donal MacIntyre puts his life and reputation on the line as he tries to live at the absolute limits of human habitation in The Edge of Existence, a new four-part series for Five. Tonight’s episode sees Donal travel to Borneo in southeast Asia to experience life with the sea gypsies.
After a gruelling three-day journey through the shark and pirate-infested waters of the Celebes Sea, Donal arrives at the port of Semporna on the southeast coast of Borneo. Here, he hopes to learn of the Bajau-Laut –a nomadic tribe of people who were born, live and will die at sea. But since the Bajau-Laut –or sea gypsies –are rarely on land and do not keep to a conventional calendar, they are very hard to find. As Donal sets off into 100,000 square miles of water, he is apprehensive: “I’d love to tell you what’s going to happen over the next while,” he says, “but I’ve no idea.”
His initial fears are allayed when he approaches Omadal island and receives a warm, traditional welcome from the inhabitants of a small settlement. These villagers were once sea gypsies themselves, but have since transferred their lives to the land. Their existence is still centred around the sea, however, as Donal soon discovers.
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Ready to Watch Macintyre Edge of Existence, Season 1, Episode 2?