 | | Name: | Dugong dugon | | Group: | Subungulate (includes elephants, hyraxes and aardvarks) | | Weight: | 1000kg (2204lb) | | Length: | 4m (13ft 6 inches) | | Appearance: | Brownish/grey, fluke tail, no dorsal fin, nostrils on the tip of snout | | Diet: | Herbivorous | | Longevity: | 70+ years | | Reproduction: | Gestation period 12-13 months, 10-12 calves a lifetime | | Distribution: | Indo-Pacific |
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| | | | | | : Description | | 1000kg (2204lb), maximum length 4.1m (13ft 6 inches). Brownish/grey smooth skin with a few hairs. Fluke tail with no dorsal fin, nostrils on the tip of snout. Males and often females have 2 large tusks only visible when the mouth is open. They are the only herbivorous marine mammals. 70% of their negative buoyancy is due to their skin. | |
| : Mermaid Myth | | Mermaids emerged from the imagination of sailors, who mistook sea cows for maidens. Their order, Sirenia, is derived from their close association with sirens of the sea or mermaids. Worldwide people have associated dugongs with myths about women, lost lovers, food availability, pregnancy or children. Their primitive beauty is enchanting. | |
| : Reproduction | | Very low reproduction rate, 1 calf every 5 years. Reproduction starts around 12 or 13 years. Gestation period is 13-14 months. They can live to 70+ years and have 10 to 12 calves a lifetime. The slow reproductive rate indicates that at one time this group must have been very successful, plaguing popular locations. | |
| : Survival | | All sea cow populations have declined due to hunting and changes in habitat, but they are also vulnerable to nets, dynamite fishing and storms. Hunting persists due to lack of enforcement and political will (Dugong is still served at official functions in Mozambique). Common sense tells us the dugongs’ survival comes down to economic worth. Responsible tourism can increase that worth. | |
| | | : Origin | | As all mammals they breathe air, have hair, give birth to live young and produce milk. However, they're unrelated to whales, dolphins and seals. Sea cows belong to the subungulates group, which includes elephants, hyraxes and aardvarks, supported by morphology and genetics. Today there are only 4 species of the Sirenia order; 1 of these is a species of dugong and the other 3 are manatees. | |
| : Distribution | | Dugongs are found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region and are the only surviving members of the once diverse family of dugongids. They thrive in sheltered lagoons and bays where seagrass beds are found. The Guludo Arc is a perfect spot for grazing dugongs. | |
| : Behaviour | | Lek system – males establish and defend courtship territories in traditional areas where females come. Dugongs are extremely shy. Like many animals, when harassed they become nocturnal. Dugongs feed on sea grass beds but it is thought that they go to rocky, rough areas where they can’t be seen or hunted during the day and graze on the sea grass at night. Dugongs eat by grubbing up the whole plant, which leaves distinctive troughs in the meadow. These troughs have been seen in areas where dugongs haven’t been seen for 10 years. Antagonistic behaviour toward people is unknown. | |
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 | WATCHIN DUGONS IN THE WATER IS LIKE OBSERVING A SLOW UNDERWATER BALLET
James Powell, 2002, Manatees & Dugongs |  |  | | |
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