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Dugong (Dugong dugon)

Distantly related to the manatees of the American Atlantic coast, the dugong or ‘sea cow’ is a mammal adapted to a life spent entirely in water. It is usually solitary or lives in small groups, travelling considerable distances between feeding areas, which are mostly seagrass beds and other shallow water vegetation. All dugongs have tusks, but these only break the skin surface and become visible in adult males and older females.

The dugong can grow up to 3.3 metres long and weigh as much as 600kg, and their large size and slow movements have made them easy prey for hunters. Their numbers have also declined due to habitat loss and entrapment in fishing nets – unlike whales and dolphins they can only hold their breath for 10-12 minutes and easily drown if they become entangled.