Dugong for Kids Ages 3-12

Dugong

A gentle Dugong, also known as a 'sea cow,' tells the story of its life grazing in seagrass meadows. The Dugong explains its connection to its mother, its surprising relationship to elephants, and the challenges it faces from pollution and boat traffic. The story highlights the Dugong's important role as an 'ocean gardener' and ends with a hopeful message about protecting the ocean for all sea creatures.

First Described 1776

IUCN Vulnerable Listing 1982

Declared Functionally Extinct in China 2022

A Dugong's Tale

Hello, my name is Dugong, and I am a gentle marine mammal. I live in the warm, shallow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific. Many people call me a 'sea cow' because, much like a cow on land, I spend my days peacefully grazing on my favorite food: delicious seagrass. I have a big, grey body that is perfectly suited for life underwater, and I swim using my powerful, whale-like tail. My snout is one of my most special features. It's strong and covered in bristles, which helps me munch on the seagrass that carpets the ocean floor. For millions of years, my ancestors have been swimming gracefully through the water that some sailors who saw us from their ships might have mistaken us for mermaids. We are not mythical creatures, but we are a special part of the ocean's story, living a quiet life beneath the waves.

I am what you might call an 'ocean gardener.' My whole life revolves around the beautiful seagrass meadows under the sea. From the moment I was born, I stayed very close to my mother. She was my teacher and my protector, guiding me through the underwater world. She taught me how to use my bristly snout to find the juiciest seagrass and how to navigate the currents to find the best meadows to eat in. We had a very close bond, and everything I know, I learned from her. It might surprise you to learn who my closest living relative on land is. It's not a cow, but the elephant! It's hard to see the resemblance now, but our family trees have been connected for millions of years, which I think is an amazing fact. We may live in different worlds, one on land and one in the sea, but we share a distant family history.

My kind has been swimming in these waters for a very long time, and humans have known about us for centuries. It was in the year 1776 that scientists officially gave my species its scientific name, formally recognizing us in the world of science. But since that time, our world has changed a great deal. The seagrass meadows that we depend on for food are starting to disappear because of pollution in the water. Another danger we now face is busy boat traffic, which can be very risky for a slow-moving animal like me. These changes make life much harder for us. Sadly, in 2022, it was announced that my cousins who lived in the waters around China could no longer be found. This reminds everyone just how important it is to protect our ocean homes before they are gone forever.

Even with these challenges, I have a very important job to do. By grazing on seagrass every day, I help keep the meadows healthy and trimmed, much like a gardener tends a lawn. This allows the seagrass to grow strong, which creates a safe home and a source of food for countless other fish and tiny sea creatures. Healthy seagrass meadows are vital for a balanced underwater world. We dugongs can live for a very long time, sometimes up to 70 years, so we can spend our entire lives helping the ecosystem. When people help protect us and our ocean home, they are not just helping the 'sea cows'; they are helping to keep the entire underwater world healthy and beautiful for everyone to appreciate.