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Dugongs
of Hervey Bay |
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| Dugongs |
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The
dugong, [Dugong dugon], is commonly called a sea cow. The dugong is a large mammal averaging 2.5 metres but reaching up
to 3 metres in length and weighing up to 500 kilograms. They have a thick layer of fat making them look a little chubby, small
flippers toward the front of the body and a
broad, forked tail similar to a whale's tail. The skin looks smooth, but upon closer
inspection, it's evident the surface is rough and covered in short, thick bristles.
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| Feeding |
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Though dugongs spend their lives in the water, they
breathe through their lungs and only
surface for air, spending up to fifteen
minutes at a time underwater. Female
dugongs give birth underwater to a single calf every three to seven
years which they suckle. The dugong has large lips they curl up to breathe easier on the surface and use for tearing off seagrass. They are generally found in
pairs or small groups and feed mainly at
night, grazing heavily on the seagrass
beds.
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| Endangered
Species |
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Dugongs
can only live where there are sufficient seagrass beds, and these
are being destroyed by dredging and pollutants being washed into the sea.
The shy, slow moving dugong are a threatened species and their numbers
have declined considerably in the southern
Great Barrier reef and here in Hervey Bay
and the Great Sandy Strait. Much of the
decline is due to the disappearing
seagrass habitat, as well as accidental
drowning in nets and boat strikes. The
dugong is a protected species in Australia, only still hunted traditionally by
some Aborigines. Reports indicate there are
only around 1700 left on our Great Barrier Reef and Hervey Bay's waters have a population of around 800.
Hervey
Bay is a dugong protection area with the
aim of promoting awareness and helping the
dugong population to recover. |
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