Dugong

1. The Original Mermaid

For centuries, lonely sailors mistook dugongs for mermaids. When a female dugong surfaces to nurse her calf, she holds the baby with her flippers while floating vertically—creating a silhouette that, from a distance, looks remarkably human. The rounded body, the way they "sit" in the water, and their gentle nature all contributed to the mermaid myth. Sorry, Ariel—the real mermaid is a 300-kg seagrass-eating mammal.

2. The Seagrass Lawnmower

Dugongs are the ocean's most dedicated gardeners. They eat 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of seagrass per day, consuming the entire plant including roots. This grazing actually helps maintain healthy seagrass meadows by preventing overgrowth and promoting new growth. They create "feeding trails"—bare patches in the seagrass beds that look like underwater crop circles.

3. The Forked Tail Advantage

Unlike their manatee cousins (paddle tail), dugongs have a fluked, dolphin-like tail. This gives them more power and speed, allowing them to travel longer distances between seagrass meadows. They can swim up to 10 km/h when needed, though they usually cruise at a leisurely 2–3 km/h.

4. Tusk Warriors

Adult male dugongs grow small tusks (up to 7 cm) that protrude from their upper jaw. During mating season, males use these tusks to fight each other for access to females. The scars you see on older males are battle wounds from these underwater duels. It's like medieval jousting, but with marine mammals.

5. The Breathing Rhythm

As mammals, they must surface to breathe. They typically dive for 1–4 minutes, but can hold their breath for up to 8 minutes when resting. Their nostrils are positioned on top of their snout and close automatically when diving. Watching a dugong surface, take a breath, and gracefully sink back down is one of the most peaceful sights in the ocean.

6. Mother's Milk

Female dugongs have teats located at the base of their flippers (armpits). When nursing, the mother and calf float vertically, with the baby positioned under the flipper. This behavior, combined with the mother's rounded body, is what likely inspired the mermaid legend. The calf nurses for up to 18 months.

7. The Lonely Grazer

Unlike manatees (which are social), dugongs are usually solitary or found in pairs. The largest groups you might see are mothers with calves or small feeding aggregations (3–6 individuals) in rich seagrass areas. They don't form large herds.

8. Deep Diving for Dinner

While they prefer shallow waters (1–10m), dugongs have been recorded diving to 37 meters (121 feet) to reach deep seagrass beds. They can stay submerged for several minutes while grazing, using their sensitive snout to root through the sediment.

9. The 70-Year Life

Dugongs are long-lived, with a lifespan of up to 70 years. They reach sexual maturity slowly (around 10 years for females, 6–17 years for males) and have a long gestation period (13–15 months). This slow reproductive rate makes them extremely vulnerable to population decline.

10. Cultural Guardians

In many cultures across their range (from East Africa to Australia), dugongs hold cultural significance. In Aboriginal Australian culture, they are considered sacred and are protected by traditional laws. In some areas, they are still hunted for meat and oil, which has contributed to their Vulnerable status.