Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of interned Japanese pearl divers were deported from Australia at the end of World War Two. It largely ended a once-lucrative industry in Queensland’s Torres Strait.

The Ama divers of Japan, primarily in Toba and Shima, preserve an ancient tradition of free diving for shellfish and pearls, dating back 3000 years. Around 2,000 divers remain, sustaining their ...