Dugong

Dugong dugon

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Sirenia
Family: Dugongidae
Genus: Dugong
Species: Dugong dugon

The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large, slow-moving marine mammal reaching about 3 m, with a rounded grey body, paddle-like flippers and a dolphin-like fluked tail. Its broad, downturned snout is covered in bristles and adapted for grazing on the seabed.

Dugongs feed almost exclusively on seagrass, uprooting it and leaving tell-tale feeding trails across the bottom. They are often accompanied by golden trevally or remoras and surface every few minutes to breathe.

In the Philippines dugongs survive in scattered populations, with Busuanga and the Calamian Islands in northern Palawan among the best-known areas, and records from other parts of the archipelago. The species is protected by law, and divers and snorkellers should keep their distance and never chase or touch one.

Photo: Gergely Nigg, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist