In Australia, dugongs occur in the
shallow coastal waters of northern Australia
from the Queensland/New South Wales border in the east to Shark Bay on the Western Australian coast. They are also found in other parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans in warm shallow seas in areas where seagrass is found.
Where do most dugongs live?
Dugongs live only in
coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans
from east Africa to the Red Sea and Australia.
What ocean zone do dugongs live in?
Dugongs, also known as Sea Cows are large charismatic marine mammals that live in
tropical costal areas
. They are found along the coast of many countries around the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the coast of India to Vanuatu.
Where can I see dugongs in Australia?
Dugongs, Coral Coast and Ningaloo Reef, Australia
Shark Bay and to a lesser extent Ningaloo marine park
are the two places on Australia’s west coast you have the best chances to see Dugongs out in the wild. Shark Bay is one of the world’s largest population of this endangered mammal species.
Where are dugongs found in the wild?
These enormous vegetarians can be found in
warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific
. Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance and behavior— though the dugong’s tail is fluked like a whale’s.
Are dugongs friendly?
Dugongs are huge but friendly
. Dodong signals us to keep at least five meters away from the obliviously grazing bull, crunching on clumps of Halophila ovalis, which unlike most types of seagrass, has small round leaves instead of flowing grass blades.
Are dugongs smart?
Our team at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium think dugongs
are unique and incredibly intelligent creatures
. … The dugong is one of four species of the order Sirenia, a group of marine mammals are strictly herbivorous meaning they eat only plants.
How many dugong are left?
The Persian Gulf has the second-largest dugong population in the world, inhabiting most of the southern coast, and the current population is believed to range from
5,800 to 7,300
.
Why are dugongs dying?
Dugongs are
threatened by sea grass habitat loss or degradation
because of coastal development or industrial activities that cause water pollution. … This makes the conservation of their shallow water marine habitat very important. They also often become victims of bycatch, the accidental entanglement in fishing nets.
Can dugongs and manatees mate?
Both manatees and dugongs are primarily solitary animals but have very different approaches when it comes to partners. Manatees are devout polygamists. A male manatee can have several female partners. …
Dugongs
, on the other hand, have only one mate, and they live as a couple for life.
Are dugongs safe to swim with?
When swimming with dugongs, go in small groups of four or five and limit encounters to 15 minutes. Keep a safe distance—around 15 feet away—and resist the urge to touch an animal. Instead, Molina advises, “
keep still and be quiet
.” If you’re snorkeling, move your fins slowly to avoid slapping the water.
How do you spot a dugong?
If you look closely you may see all the whiskers
(vibrissae) around their mouth
. Next, you may see a broad back break the water’s surface. If you see long scratches along the back, you have most likely spotted an adult female dugong.
What are manatees called in Australia?
It is known as
the balguja
by the Wunambal people of the Mitchell Plateau area in the Kimberley, Western Australia. Dugong dugon is the only extant species of the family Dugongidae, and one of only four extant species of the Sirenia order, the others forming the manatee family.
Is dugong a fish?
The dugong is large
marine mammal
, usually around 3 metres in length and weighing around 420 kg. … They have a flat tail and flippers like a whale, but are more closely related to an elephant and evolved 50 to 60 million years ago, when an elephant like creature entered the water.
What is dugong English?
dugong in American English
(ˈduːɡɑŋ, -ɡɔŋ) noun. an
herbivorous, aquatic mammal
, Dugong dugon, of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, having a barrel-shaped body, flipperlike forelimbs, no hind limbs, and a triangular tail: widespread but rare.
