Dugongs (Sea Cows) - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

The dugong’s scientific name (its official name used by scientists) is Dugong dugon, and it’s the only living species in the family Dugongidae!

A group of dugongs is called a herd, and they love to travel together through warm coastal waters!

Dugongs can be found in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region (the area between the Indian and Pacific Oceans), from East Africa to Australia, swimming in shallow coastal areas!

While most dugongs live between 60 to 70 years in the wild, some have been known to live up to 73 years when well-protected!

Adult dugongs typically weigh between 500 and 900 pounds (230-420 kg), about the same weight as a grand piano or a small car!

A male dugong is called a bull, a female is called a cow, and a baby dugong is called a calf!

Dugongs are strict herbivores (plant-eaters only), which means they only eat plants, specifically seagrasses that grow in shallow ocean waters!

Physical Characteristics

Dugongs have a special split upper lip that helps them grab and sort through seagrass, working like built-in garden tools!

Adult dugongs can grow to be up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) long, about the length of a small car!

Unlike their manatee cousins, dugongs have a fluked tail (shaped like a dolphin’s tail) that helps them swim efficiently through the water!

A dugong’s skin is thick and smooth, with a layer of blubber (fat for warmth) underneath that keeps them warm in cool waters!

Dugongs have sensitive bristles (stiff whiskers) covering their upper lip that help them detect seagrass in murky water!

The dugong’s brain is relatively small compared to its body size, weighing only about 300 grams (about as much as two apples), but they’re still quite intelligent!

A dugong’s eyes have special clear covers called protective membranes that help keep their eyes safe and let them see better underwater — like built-in swim goggles!

Dugongs have tusks that usually only emerge (grow out) in adult males, but some females can develop them too!

The dugong’s flippers have five finger-like bones inside them, similar to a human hand!

A dugong’s bones are especially dense (heavy and thick), which helps them stay underwater while feeding on seagrass!

Behavior & Intelligence

Dugongs can communicate with each other using chirps, whistles, and barks that can travel long distances underwater!

Dugongs often rest on the seafloor between feeding sessions, holding their breath for up to 6 minutes!

Dugongs are known to travel in pairs, usually a mother and calf, but can gather in herds of hundreds when there’s plenty of seagrass!

Dugongs have great memories — they remember special seagrass feeding spots and return to them years later, even after swimming far away. It’s like they have built-in treasure maps!

Dugongs sometimes use their flippers to “walk” along the seafloor while feeding on seagrass!

Dugongs mostly swim slowly at about 10 km/h, but when they need to flee danger, they can sprint as fast as 20–22 km/h (14 mph) — speedy for such gentle giants!

Dugongs often feed at night when the water is cooler and there are fewer boats around!

Dugongs can recognize individual calls from friends like their mom or calf. Their chirps and whistles carry unique “voices” that let them tell one dugong from another — even underwater!

Dugongs are usually shy around people, but if they feel safe, they can be curious with divers, sometimes even swimming closer to take a peek — just like gentle, underwater friends!

Habitat & Survival

Dugongs live where the water stays warm — usually above about 66 °F (19 °C). That’s why they’re only found in tropical and subtropical waters near the equator, from East Africa to Australia!

Dugongs usually stay in waters less than 30 feet (10 meters) deep, where seagrass grows best!

Dugongs often share their habitat (home area) with sea turtles, who also love to munch on seagrass!

Dugongs can swim long distances — sometimes up to 26 kilometers (16 miles) in a day — while searching for tasty seagrass!

Dugongs help maintain (keep healthy) ocean ecosystems (underwater communities of plants and animals) by pruning seagrass beds, which helps the grass grow stronger!

Dugongs can survive in both salty ocean water and brackish water (mix of fresh and salt water) where rivers meet the sea!

Dugongs have few natural predators (animals that hunt them), but tiger sharks, killer whales and saltwater crocodiles sometimes hunt them!

Dugongs sometimes ride along tidal currents — like a gentle water slide — to save energy when moving between feeding spots.

Life Cycle

Baby dugongs typically drink their mother’s milk for 14–18 months, and they stay close for up to six years. During that time, they learn everything from what to eat to where to find seagrass — like a long underwater apprenticeship with mom!

A dugong’s pregnancy lasts about 13 to 15 months, making it one of the longest pregnancies among marine mammals before a single calf is born.

Baby dugongs can swim just one hour after being born, though they stay close to their mothers!

A newborn dugong calf weighs about 66 pounds (30 kg), about the size of a large dog!

Female dugongs usually have only one calf every 2.5 to 7 years, making population recovery (numbers growing back) very slow!

Baby dugongs begin eating seagrass just weeks after birth, while still drinking their mother’s milk. Soon afterward, they can swim and graze alongside Mom in the meadow!

Adult dugongs mostly live on their own, but baby dugongs and their moms form strong, loving bonds that last for years while learning to find seagrass and survive.

A mother dugong makes super-rich milk that’s full of fat and protein — perfect for helping her baby grow strong in the ocean without the milk mixing into the water!

Female dugongs reach maturity (become adults) at about 6–17 years old, while males mature a bit earlier at 9–19 years!

Diet & Feeding

An adult dugong can eat about 40 kg (88 lb) of seagrass in a single day—that’s like eating around 130 lettuce heads!

Dugongs use their sensitive bristly snouts to detect the most nutritious (healthy) parts of seagrass plants!

Dugongs have strong, flexible upper lips that let them dig up entire seagrass plants — including the roots and rhizomes — leaving feeding trails behind in the sand.

Dugongs prefer seagrass species (types) from the families Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae – these are like their favorite vegetables!

Dugongs sometimes eat small sea squirts and shellfish along with their seagrass meals!

A dugong’s digestive system (body parts that break down food) is specially adapted to break down tough seagrass, taking up to seven days to process a meal!

Dugongs sometimes shake seagrass plants to remove sand before eating them, showing how smart they are!