Scientists have confirmed that Moken sea nomad children living on the Andaman Sea can see underwater with twice the clarity of other children, constricting their pupils to dolphin-like precision through years of ocean training. But the tribe that produced this extraordinary ability is itself quietly disappearing, pushed off their boats and out of their waters by conservation laws, statelessness, and dying fish stocks.

For most people, opening their eyes underwater turns the world into a blur. The human eye is designed to focus light passing through air, and once submerged, much of that focusing…

Scientists have confirmed that Moken sea nomad children living on the Andaman Sea can see underwater with twice the clarity of other children, constricting their pupils to…