Understanding and conserving dugongs

The coastal waters of northwest Australia, encompassing the Kimberley and Pilbara regions down to Shark Bay, are home to one of the largest remaining dugong populations. 

Resembling a walrus, dugongs are cousins of manatees, related to the elephant and sometimes called ‘sea-cows’ because of their grazing habits. They can grow up to three metres long and weigh up to 400 kilograms.  

Linked to the myth of mermaids and living up to 70 years, these shy, gentle, and vulnerable creatures feed almost exclusively on seagrass. 

Dugongs are an important species in marine ecosystems and have high cultural value to coastal Aboriginal communities.  

It is estimated that about 10,000 dugongs reside in the waters of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area – one of the world’s most stable populations. They can also be seen year-round at Ningaloo Reef, another location rich in seagrass meadows. 

They can be sighted on marine interaction tours (such as whale shark, humpback whale and manta ray tours), snorkelling and diving tours, and other water-based tours include glass-bottom boat and kayaking tours. 

To help conservation and management efforts in Western Australia, dugong populations and their habitats continue to be researched and monitored by organisations such as the UWA Oceans Institute, Murdoch University’s Cetacean Research Institute, the Western Australian Marine Science Institution and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 

Research includes aerial surveying, tagging and seagrass mapping as well as input of traditional knowledge from Aboriginal peoples. Â