Dugong

Hello! My name is Dugong, but lots of people call me a ‘sea cow.’ It’s a funny nickname because I’m not a cow at all. I live in the ocean, and my favorite thing to do is munch on yummy seagrass all day long. I have a fun secret for you—my closest relatives that live on land are elephants. Isn't that amazing? I have a big, strong body that helps me swim, and my special tail is shaped like a whale's. It helps me glide gently through the warm, blue water. I love my peaceful life swimming and eating in my ocean home.

My home is in the shallow, sunny waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The water is warm and clear, which is perfect for my favorite food to grow. My whole day is about finding the best underwater gardens filled with seagrass. To eat, I use my special bristly snout to nibble the grass right from the seabed. It’s like having a little broom on my mouth. While I’m down there, I can hold my breath for a few minutes at a time before I pop back up for air. I am a quiet animal, but I do make little sounds like chirps and squeaks. That’s how I talk to my mom and other dugongs swimming nearby.

Eating all that seagrass isn’t just for fun—it’s my very important job. When I graze on the grass, I help keep the seagrass meadows healthy, just like a gardener tends to a garden. A healthy seagrass meadow makes a safe home and provides food for lots of other fish and tiny sea creatures. It makes me happy to know I am helping my neighbors. But I have to share something a little sad. In some places, our beautiful seagrass homes are disappearing. For example, in the year 2022, scientists announced that my cousins who lived in the waters near China couldn't be found anymore. This shows just how important it is for everyone to help protect our underwater gardens.

My family and I are very special because we are the only living 'sea cows' of our kind. We have an important role in keeping the ocean's gardens healthy. We can live for a very long time, sometimes up to 70 years, and we spend our lives peacefully feeding on seagrass, and our grazing behavior influences seagrass meadow dynamics. When people help protect our seagrass meadows and keep the oceans clean, they are helping us, too. This allows us to continue our important work, making the ocean a better place for everyone for many, many years to come.