dugongs

The Dugong (Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal ranging the waters of at least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, though the majority of dugongs live in the northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay. Dugongs also inhabit the shallow, tropical waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region.  The significance of the Great Barrier Reef as a habitat for substantial populations of dugongs was a reason for being granted World Heritage listing. The Dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil and is now considered close to extinction. Today hunters kill the dugong for meat, oil, skin, and bones.   The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of dugong-derived products. The main causes of population decline include hunting, habitat degradation, and fishing-related fatalities. Its lifespan is 70 years or more. Dugongs are also threatened by storms, parasites and natural predators, sharks, killer whales, and crocodiles. The word “dugong” derives from Tagalog, adopted from the term Malay duyung, meaning “lady of the sea”. Other names are “sea cow”, “sea pig” and “sea camel”. Australia’s dugongs have two distinct maternal lineages, from Africa and Arabia. Females birth one calf a year, which remains with the mother for about 18 months. They can reach 3m in length and weigh around 400 to 500 kilograms. Dugongs sometimes breathe by “standing” on their tail with their heads above water. They play an important ecological role in coastal marine ecosystems. Dugong meat and oil are traditionally valuable foods of Australian aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Dugongs played a role in legends in Kenya, and are known there as the “Queen of the Sea“. Body parts are used as food, medicine, and decorations. In Southern China dugongs were traditionally regarded as a “miraculous fish”, where it was bad luck to catch them and in the Philippines parts of Dugongs are used to ward off evil spirits. In areas of Thailand it is believed that the dugong’s tears form a powerful love potion, while in parts of Indonesia dugongs are considered reincarnations of women. In Papua New Guinea they are seen as a symbol of strength. Legends claim the Dugong as the inspiration for mythical mermaids and sirens.