A man living in a remote cave in Yemen spends his days fishing by hand and is a true testament to how people lived on this secluded island thousands of years ago.
From BBC:
Standing on a rocky outcrop on the north-western tip of the Yemeni island of Socotra, the only signs of life that I could see were shoals of fish undulating beneath me in the turquoise water. To the west, the horizon shimmered pink over the ocean, a phenomenon caused by the dusty Arabian atmosphere. From the east rising towards the north, jagged granite peaks framing 80m-high sand dunes fell away into the shallows.
In the far distance, I noticed a tiny figure in the surf. I asked my guide and island expert Matteo Zanella who it was. "That is Ellai and this is his home. I will take you to meet him tomorrow." I looked around perplexed. Aside from our makeshift camp, I saw no evidence that anyone else had ever lived here.
Zanella explained that fishing is the foundation of livelihoods here, and Socotri have always lived close to the sea. While most Socotri now live in small coastal villages and towns, more than 30 caves have been discovered on the island. And here in the north, those such as Hoq Cave, the largest on Socotra, have historically provided safe shelter from both the unforgivingly high summer temperatures and strong monsoons in winter.
Despite living only 2km from the town of Qalansiyah, Ellai still chooses to live in a cave, and in many ways, Zanella explained, he is something of a living testament to the way ancient Socotri once lived on this far-flung island.
