This 8.9 foot, 660 lb (300 kg) bristly, blubbery, barnacled beast known as a Dugong is probably one of the most unusual of sea creatures you can encounter when you dive.
*Photo by Julien Willem on wikipedia.org
Looking like a cross between a walrus and a whale, the dugong is neither. This mammal is part of the Manatee family and has paddle like forearms and a whale like tail. Its most distinguishing feature is it’s face with small widespread eyes, small valve like nostrils on the tip of it’s nose and a huge downward turned muzzle like snout similar to the beginning of an elephants trunk sometimes with the presence of tusks. Not known for their slender silhouette dugongs are surprisingly graceful swimmers. However you are more likely to see them kicking up a sand cloud on the bottom of the sea bed as they graze on seagrasses.
Dugongs are widely distributed in the waters of 37 countries along the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Found in warm shallow waters, dugongs need a source of fresh water for drinking and are often found near mangroves, protected bays and inshore islands. Australia has the largest population of this species. Groups of 10,000 or more are present on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, at Shark Bay, Moreton Bay in Brisbane and in Torres Strait south of New Guinea. A small number of dugongs are found in the strait between Malaysia and Singapore, in the Philippines, the Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea near Pakistan and the Red Sea in Egypt at Marsa Alam.
*Photo by alexgoodey on flickr
Fun Dugong Facts
- Dugongs are herbivores
- They can live up to 70 years
- They can grow up to 10 feet
- They can weigh anywhere from 510 lbs to 2,000 lbs
- Also called the Sea Cow
- When in a group they are referred to as a herd
- They are a threatened species and considered endangered
- They are related to the manatee and elephant
- They can stay underwater for up to six minutes
- They can stand on their tail
- They are the inspiration behind ancient tales of mermaids and sirens
- The name Dugong is derived from the Malay language and means “lady of the sea”
- They can reach a swim speed of up to 15.5 mph
- They have been heavily hunted for their meat, hide, and oil
- They were referenced in the Bible
- Males have two tusks
- They have poor vision, acute hearing and a strong sense of smell
- They have extremely dense bones, which act as a ballast to keep them afloat
- They need fresh water sources for drinking
I just love the way Dugongs hoover up the sea floor.. the name dugong is just hillarious…dugong dugong dugong.