Was there ever a civilization or ethnicity that spent the majority of its living existence seafaring?

by Bearbats

By that I mean, a peoples who spent the majority of their lives off of land, on boats, trading and transporting and the like. The idea just struck me and I am now wondering if there was ever a culture that existed primarily on the water. Thanks!

mormengil

Quite a few (perhaps a majority?) of the male residents of Nantucket Island in the 1840s and 50s. They spent their time at sea whaling, however, rather than trading or transporting.