I Lived with Hidden Fishermen on the Arabian Sea

Ajouté : 2026-05-10

[00:00:03]the world's 12th largest city. You would imagine this, this, or maybe even this, but definitely not this.

[00:00:29]Can you understand my English?

[00:00:32]>> You can. Okay. So, I'm going to be taking your English class today.

[00:00:48]in Pakistan.

[00:00:50]Woo!

[00:00:52]>> Oh, >> I can't get it on.

[00:01:03]But how did I end up here? Let's start from the beginning.

[00:01:08]Nicknamed the city of lights or the city that never sleeps, Karachi is a bustling metropolitan that used to be Pakistan's capital. I had turned up to Karachi expecting to simply be another tourist.

[00:01:22]But fate had other plans. Right at the city's edge lies a hidden village that exists as its own little world, home to an ethnic minority known as the Balor.

[00:01:35]one of the oldest and most fascinating ethnic groups in South Asia. Tracing their roots back over a thousand years.

[00:01:44]At this point, I had never even heard of the Balor people, but a chance encounter allowed me to meet one. This new friendship opened my eyes to a world that I never even knew existed. My new Balo friend shared that his people predominantly live in Baloistan, Pakistan's largest province, but their homeland extends far beyond stretching into Iran and Afghanistan. Together, this entire region is known as greater Baloistan. But there was something else I noticed. A certain hostility and distrust towards my new friend. Subtle but present. warnings from those around me telling me to keep my distance. I soon learned why. A resistance group known as the Balor Liberation Army are fighting for independence. Because of this ongoing conflict, the Balor people are often viewed with suspicion and caution. Now, I've learned that people are rarely the headlines written about them. That's why I decided to seek the truth myself.

[00:02:49]My name is Assra Hussein and this ladies and gents is my story with the Balor people at the Arabian Sea.

[00:03:05]If you're not from here, you don't belong here. Tourists flock in and out of this coastal gem, but Mabarak village is home to Balo people only. The different tribes and clans within the Baloj of Mabarak village form tightly woven communities making you think that you're in Baloistan but we're actually not. Right now we're in the province of Sind right at the tip of Karach.

[00:03:33]A local family had kindly taken me in keen to show a foreigner their balor way of life. I'm staying with a mother and father and their little son.

[00:03:45]This is their little one.

[00:03:48]He's so lovely. He's actually one of the most most loveliest children that I've ever met in my life. Their history is as rich as their traditions as they're possibly descendants of ancient Iranian tribes. Over centuries, they migrated south into what is now greater Baloistan, carrying their unique customs and culture with them. And as you can see, they've dressed me up in their traditional Baloce clothes. Their clothing is a true testament to their artistry. Balocci garments are entirely handmade with each intricate stitch and design telling a different story.

[00:04:25]Patterns are passed down through generations. And creating a single outfit can take weeks, sometimes even months. And look, the clothing always has a pocket. Look at how big this pocket is. I put sweets in here. The Balo hold great pride in their culture, heritage, and language. Baloi, an ancient Indo-Iranian tongue passed down for centuries. Rarely written, always spoken. Cheyenne Yik, >> yiki, >> auntie. That's all I can say in Beli right now. Slowly, slowly I'll learn the language. For those of you who have watched me for a long time, you know that I pick up languages very quickly. I don't speak their language. They don't speak my language. But there is a common language, Udu, which is the national language of Pakistan that we're able to communicate in. I worked hard to learn Uru, hired a teacher for 2 years and seriously hit the books. So by the time I arrived in Pakistan, I was fluent enough to have a conversation. He can't understand anything that I say because I'm an Udo speaker and he's a Boti speaker. So I have no idea what he says and he has no idea what I say. But we're making the relationship work. It is actually crazy because I never thought that in Pakistan there'll be people who are me to where my order is of a higher level than theirs. So I have to slow down and take it easy when I speak in order with them else they won't understand me. But I do actually quite like that because it means that they're keeping their mother tongue strong because their mother tongue is not taught in schools. It's not taught in education. So if the people themselves don't keep their mother tongue going, it will die out eventually.

[00:06:03]Fishing is the backbone of life in this coastal village. Passed down through generations, shaping both survival and identity.

[00:06:14]Just look at his position. He's crouched down, ready to pounce.

[00:06:19]The devotion to their craft is intense with men even living and working at sea.

[00:06:27]Jordan, >> Jordan Island. I am from the English countryside, so fishing and beach life are all very new to me. I was keen to see them in action, which is why my hosts are taking me on this 2hour journey to Churna Island today to meet a group of fishermen who have been living at sea.

[00:06:54]We need to go there. Okay.

[00:07:02]That is where we're going.

[00:07:09]>> As we got closer to Cha Island, I started to see small fishing boats dotted across the water.

[00:07:18]>> Everybody.

[00:07:19]>> Everybody.

[00:07:27]Biryani.

[00:07:28]>> I like biryani very much.

[00:07:43]Okay. Cousin say Oh.

[00:08:29]Saychech.

[00:08:58]Island.

[00:09:17]Okay.

[00:09:24]Gee, you won't be welcome.

[00:09:44]Sunday.

[00:10:02]Yes.

[00:10:08]All right, Wow.

[00:11:16]After such an eyeopening experience, we bid the gentleman farewell and good wishes that they could return to shore soon. They very kindly gifted me fish.

[00:11:26]And then we met another fisherman on the way who gifted me another fish.

[00:11:30]>> I'm fished out. Look at all these gifts.

[00:11:33]We couldn't resist another fishing session. My host managed to catch a stunning dragon fish. It was my first time seeing one. Then it was my turn to have a go. Well, they just asked me to reel the fishing line back in. Do you know? I think this was my first time ever holding a fishing rod. You can tell because I'm struggling.

[00:12:00]So, we've arrived to another location so that I can jump in and swim. I've got fins as well. The little one's got the fins on. I'm not going to put the fins on right now. I think I'm just going to jump in. Shall I jump?

[00:12:11]>> Yeah.

[00:12:11]>> Okay. I'm going to go first and then maybe this little one will follow me.

[00:12:15]Ready?

[00:12:16]>> 1 2 3.

[00:12:24]Yay.

[00:12:25]How are you feeling?

[00:12:27]>> Cold.

[00:12:32]>> Oh my god.

[00:13:12]I see everybody's time.

[00:13:29]Wow.

[00:13:38]Astra's finally swimming in Pakistan.

[00:13:58]He's just caught something really crazy from over there.

[00:14:09]>> Wow.

[00:14:24]Finished my swim and now we're off back home. Off to land we go.

[00:14:30]Everyone's exhausted. Look, they look so miserable.

[00:14:36]It's so very exciting for me because this is my first ever experience in a Buli home. So, where I am right now in this room, this is where we chill out, we hang out, we smoke hooker.

[00:15:13]Okay. Okay.

[00:15:27]Okay.

[00:15:41]>> And we also sleep in this room. So all of this that you can see behind me, these are all mattresses. So in the evening, we take them out and lay them out on the floor. And in the day, we pack it all up and put it back up there.

[00:15:52]And I'll take you outside.

[00:15:55]And this is where we dry the washing.

[00:15:57]These are all of my clothes that the wife gyne has very, very kindly washed for me. And there you can see the sea right there. That's the kitchen. Okay.

[00:16:06]So that is where we cook and we eat. By now I'd seen a glimpse of a balo man's life in Mabarak village. But I wanted to understand the women's world too. So when they invited me to join one of their daily tasks, I didn't hesitate.

[00:16:35]inshallah.

[00:16:41]I can't get it on it.

[00:16:51]difficult cuz the hard >> now you'll be enjoying watching my clumsy self struggle with something the other women do so easily. I am stressed out but just bear in mind this is daily life for the women here. The women take the same unforgiving route every day. No footpath, just gravel, broken stones and cracked sandals. All while balancing heavy pots of water on their heads in the heat without spilling a drop.

[00:17:22]>> Bye >> bye.

[00:17:26]>> And not at midday like me. At the crack of dawn. Moments like this reminded me how much of daily survival is carried quite literally on the heads of women.

[00:17:40]We're back home. I'm so glad that is over. That was just stressing me out so much. I still can't get over how these women do it on a daily basis and they carry so much weight on their head and walk through such horrific footpaths.

[00:17:52]Well, you can't even call it a foot path because it's just just gravel and stones. But I'm back in one piece and I didn't drop any water. So, I'm going to be heading over into the kitchen over there to cook and I just wanted to show you the view now that the sun's gone down a bit. You see those incredible mountains in the background. It's just such a sight for me anyway. I love stuff like this.

[00:18:10]>> Hi, Cheyenne.

[00:18:13]Come, Cheyenne. We're now going to cook.

[00:18:16]Good boy. We're now going to cook in the kitchen.

[00:18:23]>> Although Mubarak Village is technically part of the Metropolis, life here couldn't be more different. It's a world stripped to the essentials.

[00:18:36]No running water, no electricity, no gas, no health care. Everything wood, water, fresh produce has to be brought in.

[00:18:55]Sure.

[00:19:44]cooking Every evening was my bonding time with my host. Having an assistant in the kitchen was new for her, and I loved how much she enjoyed my company.

[00:19:54]I've cooked in many remote places before. The simple life isn't new for me, but I had never seen a kitchen this bare, just fire, pots, and the will to make something out of nothing. The space was so small it would get incredibly smoky, causing my eyes to burn. The ingredients were few, facilities practically zero. But the laughter was endless. We weren't just making food, we were making meals out of love. Hello.

[00:20:43]And that's what struck me the most.

[00:20:45]Despite having so little, the warmth, generosity, the sheer joy of their company overwhelmed me. It was a reminder that happiness isn't in what we have. It's in the people we share it with.

[00:21:03]>> Finally.

[00:21:04]Finally.

[00:21:32]The wife has laid out the beds as you can see. So now it's lights out and time to sleep.

[00:21:46]The morning starts early in Mubarak village. As the sun rises, the men and young boys are already at work preparing for the day's fishing.

[00:21:55]The air is filled with the scent of salt and seaweed, the rhythmic clatter of boats being readed for the water. But today, instead of the shore, I'm heading deeper into the unknown. Mubarak village is a treasure itself, but more secrets lie within. My host Dard took me on regular hikes across golden sands and rugged cliffs through landscapes carved by time and tide. Now, I'm a big treker, but hiking in this environment was unlike anything I'd ever experienced.

[00:22:29]I'm familiar with mountain peaks and high altitude, but here the air was thick with salty seab breeze. The ground beneath me shifted between soft golden sand to jagged rocks. Instead of snowy summits, I was surrounded by the endless blue of the Arabian Sea and cliffs that dramatically plunged into the salty water overlooking Churner Island in the distance. It was a contrast I never expected to love so much. From up here, Mabarak Village felt a world away.

[00:23:07]Hello sheep.

[00:23:20]DJ.

[00:23:24]Hi Bakra.

[00:23:40]We pressed on and the dry, rocky terrain slowly gave way to a hidden gem. A secluded beach with sand so soft it shimmered under the sun. This was Turtle Beach, named after the sea turtles that return every year to lay their eggs in the golden sand.

[00:24:12]Wow.

[00:24:13]>> D shared that stray dogs prey on these eggs, but nature plays its own clever survival game. The turtles dig multiple holes. Only a few contain eggs while the rest are decoys. The dogs end up digging these empty holes, leaving the real nests undisturbed. And finally, standing against the endless sky, we reached the lighthouse. A silent guardian overlooking a part of the world most will never see. No crowds, no noise.

[00:24:45]Just the wind, waves, and the unshaken rhythm of the Balo way of life.

[00:24:56]Today is my third day in Mubarak village. I've been hosted by a local family. So, we've got Dadvi over here.

[00:25:04]This is the gentleman's home that I'm staying in. And for the last 3 days, he's very kindly and very graciously allowed me to stay with him. Today, Dada is taking me somewhere. Where are we going today? We are going to not all hikes were for fun. Sometimes it was a necessity. Despite Mubarak Village being part of Karach, the 12th largest city in the world, life here is completely disconnected. Alongside no running water and electricity, there is also limited phone signal. Locals trek out of Mabarak village to higher ground just to get a few bars of reception. You wouldn't believe that a bustling metropolis lies just a few kilometers up the road. So here we are making our way to Bit Corey. Half for the scenic hike and half so I could make a couple of phone calls. The name bit Corey derives from the Baloi language translating to mountain of fishing nets. Bit meaning mountain and corey referring to a large fishing net because this place was once a bustling settlement for Cindy fishermen. Over time, the settlement was abandoned, leaving behind eerie remnants of its past. Deserted mosques and empty homes still stand today as silent witnesses to a once thriving community.

[00:26:55]Oh, I >> look little puppies. Hello. Oh my god, you are so cute.

[00:27:21]Hello.

[00:27:37]Oh my god, you are so sweet and the beautiful beach and the sea.

[00:27:46]Thank you.

[00:27:52]Thank you.

[00:28:12]Island.

[00:28:25]That's great.

[00:28:50]Take care.

[00:29:05]It's lunch time and fish.

[00:29:12]This is fish curry.

[00:29:14]>> And this is fried fish. And >> there are time to eat.

[00:29:38]Thank you.

[00:29:49]You can't get it.

[00:30:01]Yummy.

[00:30:08]>> Shabash name.

[00:30:34]Billy Billy.

[00:31:03]So, the leftover food we give to the stray dogs.

[00:31:21]You will get your food. Have some patience, please.

[00:31:28]There we go. Eat. Enjoy.

[00:31:33]Now we have to wash all of these dishes.

[00:32:02]I do.

[00:32:14]Hey, speech speech.

[00:32:53]So, we've just finished washing the dishes. I now need to go to the bathroom. So, I'm going to show you where I have to go in order to go to the bathroom. So, this is where we live.

[00:33:03]And now, watch where I have to go in order to uh relieve myself.

[00:33:12]So, we've arrived. Okay. The lady who lives here has a uh bathroom business, and I'm going to go in there to operate.

[00:33:21]Here we are. This is my little shack.

[00:33:24]Here is the auntie that look after this washroom. They can't even So, I have to go over to her place to relieve myself because the home that I'm staying in, they don't actually have a bathroom. So, this is where you can see I go across the road. That could be in the middle of the night, 3:00 in the morning. It could be 8:00 in the morning. It could be in the afternoon, whenever. But that's where I have to go.

[00:34:04]Now, I got the fancy squatting toilet to relieve myself, but where do the others go? When I asked, my host seemed a little embarrassed and simply gestured toward the trees. It was clear that out here, nature itself is the bathroom.

[00:34:22]It's 8:30 in the morning. I'm just in the process of getting dressed and folding all the blankets and putting everything away. As I told you before, we fold it all up and put it all up at the back there. I've got little Cheyenne with me. I need to be quick. I've got to eat my breakfast that Gynath has made for me over there. And you'll know by now that she made it um on that fire, right? You've seen the kitchen last night. So, I need to be quick because I have to leave to go fishing in half an hour.

[00:34:56]It's 9:30 in the morning and I'm just enjoying this silence on the sea.

[00:35:08]Look at this. Hardly anyone's out at 9:30 in the morning. It's just us and the water.

[00:35:25]For the people of Mubarak Village, the sea isn't just a view, it's their lifeline. Fishing is their sole source of income. It's how generations have survived here for centuries on the edge of the Arabian Sea. Whoa.

[00:35:50]from their eyes to experience even briefly what it's like to live a life tied so deeply to the water. They use small handmade wooden boats called hora vessels that have carried their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers out into the same tides. Some even believe that the Arabian Sea holds spirits.

[00:36:14]Spirits that protect you or even challenge you.

[00:36:28]Aada I, on the other hand, had never fished a day in my life. And here I was on my first ever fishing trip with no rod, no reel, and just a piece of string. So, as you can see, they don't have fishing rods. I'm holding a polystyrene block.

[00:37:05]And on it is the string to catch the fish.

[00:37:09]This is a very different way of fishing.

[00:37:11]I've never fished in my life, and the first time I'm doing it is with a polyyrene block.

[00:37:28]Oh, Island.

[00:38:16]Oh, speech speech.

[00:38:36]Oh my god.

[00:38:41]Oh my god.

[00:39:06]It's called Pa.

[00:39:08]Popert ache.

[00:39:48]I've just caught a fish and she was so strong that she almost pulled me in. So gunash has taken over.

[00:40:05]Hey, oh Look at this. Can you guys see who that is right there? So, we've come to pick up Not by one man only boat.

[00:41:13]Thank you.

[00:41:25]>> Well, welcome to our boat.

[00:41:28]>> I'm the newest fisherman.

[00:41:51]This guy died by he was swam from the beach. You see that beach here? And we picked him up from here. And now we're going back to where we were before to catch some more fish.

[00:42:02]We're now off home after a successful morning of fishing.

[00:42:33]The brothers could not believe that I caught three of the unique Arabian parrot fish. They were so proud of me.

[00:42:41]Call it beginner's luck or whatever you may, but I like to think that the spirits of the Arabian Sea were on my side today.

[00:42:55]We're back home from fishing and I'm going to bathe now because I'm absolutely disgusting. So, this is the room in which we bathe. So, if I take you inside, Gynan has very, very kindly warmed the water for me. Now, how did she warm the water? She lit the fire and warmed the water on the fire. So, we've got hot water here. We've got cold water here. And I'm going to mix the two together to bathe. So, we're going to be doing it traditional style bucket and jug. And this is how I'm going to wash.

[00:43:24]I'd now seen Balo life for the adults.

[00:43:27]But what about the youngsters?

[00:43:29]Beautifully built on the beach overlooking the Arabian Sea lies the only school of Mabarak village. A place brimming with ambition where Balor's children are being prepared for a future far beyond their shoreline. My host starred as an English teacher. So when I arrived as his guest, he was over the moon. An English guest in his home. It was decided I'm teaching his English class.

[00:43:56]>> Hello sir. Thank you for inviting me.

[00:43:59]>> Hello sir. Thank you for inviting me.

[00:44:02]Thank you very much for inviting me to >> As soon as I arrived, the teachers gave me a tour. I'd assumed the classes would be in their mother tongue, bali, but nope. The entire schooling system here runs in Pakistan's national language, Udu.

[00:44:31]English. Now, I've been traveling through Pakistan for a few months, mostly in remote areas where people struggle to speak Udu, even the adults.

[00:44:41]So, I figured the Balo kids would be the same, especially being so young. Nope.

[00:44:47]These kids were fluent, like scary fluent.

[00:44:54]Yes.

[00:45:04]foreign.

[00:45:33]Baloi school.

[00:46:10]Yummy. Yummy.

[00:46:12]Binyami.

[00:46:29]When I asked them how they got so good at udu, you know what they said? Tick tock. They joked that they've learned more udu from Tik Tok than from school.

[00:46:41]Well, I guess Tik Tok has its benefits after all.

[00:46:44]>> Can you understand me?

[00:46:47]Can you understand my English?

[00:46:49]>> Yes, >> you can. Okay. So, I'm going to be taking your English class today. I'm going to leave the tripod over there.

[00:46:58]Dad has left me here to teach you the English class. I'm going to do that.

[00:47:15]How are you all today?

[00:47:18]>> How are you?

[00:47:20]>> I'm fine.

[00:47:22]>> You're fine. Okay. Very good. Very good.

[00:47:24]Do you enjoy studying English?

[00:47:28]>> Yes, I do enjoy English.

[00:47:30]>> You do enjoy English. Okay. High five. I enjoy English to you. Do you find English difficult?

[00:47:39]or easy.

[00:47:42]Difficult.

[00:47:52]Okay, G. Welcome. Most welcome to our school. Thank you to our class.

[00:48:00]>> Thank you very very much. I'm I'm so very happy to be here.

[00:48:11]Now, I'm not a qualified teacher by any stretch. As you can see, I haven't got a scooby as to what I'm doing. I showed up for the banter and I'm winging it. I've already taught in half a dozen schools across the Himalayan ranges. So, I thought, why not try one by the sea?

[00:48:28]This was my first experience teaching not just at sea level but actually at sea.

[00:48:50]Yes, sir.

[00:48:57]Patience.

[00:48:59]Patience.

[00:49:04]What does patience mean? Yes.

[00:49:07]>> What's incredible about the kids here is that you've got three languages going on at the same time. Most are thinking in their mother tongue baloi. They're studying English and being taught in udu. My brain would explode. If that isn't impressive, I don't know what is.

[00:49:29]Yes, sir. Why are you interrupting my class?

[00:49:33]What does that mean? Why are you interrupting my class?

[00:49:41]Why are you interrupting my class?

[00:50:00]Why are you late?

[00:50:06]Highlighter.

[00:50:18]Lighthouse.

[00:50:37]The lighthouse. The stairs. How safe is it?

[00:50:46]Safe message.

[00:50:58]about the human is not safe.

[00:51:05]>> It is not safe.

[00:51:06]>> The stairs are not safe.

[00:51:07]>> The stairs are not safe.

[00:51:09]>> I like breads and my village is very beautiful. I like my country. I'm a boy.

[00:51:17]>> Wow. Very nice.

[00:51:25]Pakistan people are brave.

[00:51:31]Pakistan's peoples are braves.

[00:51:43]That session is now over. I've come up onto the roof of the school. Let me tell you, I have now taught in a lot of schools in the last seven months that I've been in Pakistan now, including universities, and that was one heck of an interesting class. Baloi kids are something else. I just loved the energy, their personality, their level of Udu was just so so so very impressive. Now, take a look at these views. All right, I'm just on the roof. Okay, there's the school and then this is the school ground over there.

[00:52:16]And then you're seeing the sea in the background.

[00:52:20]And there is Dai waving at me. Hi.

[00:52:23]>> Hi. How are you?

[00:52:24]>> Very good.

[00:52:25]>> How you enjoying?

[00:52:26]>> I'm really enjoying.

[00:52:28]>> So, the kids are telling me they're not allowed to go onto the beach during their break. They have to stick to this ground. And they're telling me about how jam-packed it gets when tourists come.

[00:52:38]But this is just so very exciting. I mean, imagine this being your place where you live and you study.

[00:52:45]This is your local ground and your local school. Check this out. And then there's a mountains in the background. Not bad at all. E, not bad at all.

[00:53:06]Into the kitchen we go.

[00:53:22]We finished cooking. We're about to head over to the beach. Here's some good news that I'm really, really, really proud of. It's an accomplishment of mine. The three fish that I caught today, we sold it and then use the money to buy chocolate that I'm going to hand out to all the children around this area. I feel so very proud of myself. I feel like a fisherman that this is my business.

[00:53:44]Hi.

[00:54:07]It was pitch black by the time we sat down for dinner beneath a quiet night sky. The waves whispered against the shore as we sat munching in the moonlight. Not quite my last meal here.

[00:54:20]They say the best moments in life are unplanned. And that couldn't be truer because who would have thought that a chance encounter with a stranger, someone I met completely by accident, would lead me to an experience I'll carry for the rest of my life. In this quiet, windswept corner of the Arabian Sea, I was welcomed with open arms, fed with full plates, and treated not like a guest, but family. I wish them nothing but joy, and I hope our paths cross again. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Balo people of Mubarak village, or as they say in Baloi, Minota.