Glossary

A traditional fishing net cast by hand from the shore — woven knot by knot, its weave tuned to the season's catch.

To hoist a sail! What sailors say when the boat is ready to set off across the water.

A traditional pearl-diving and sea-work chant that set the rhythm of labour aboard the dhow.

A traditional intertidal fish trap that uses the movement of the tide to catch fish.

The great return — the day the pearling fleet sailed home together at the end of the diving season.

The fisherman — one who reads the sea, the wind and the season to know where the catch will run.