28/05/2026
"Waving meadows of emerald grasses part as a portly shape drifts through the shallow waters. Like a blimp led astray, the creature uses its front flippers to paddle gently..." 🌊🌾
This World Dugong Day, we look beneath the surface at one of India’s most gentle and vulnerable marine treasures—the dugong (Dugong dugon).
Affectionately called "sea cows," these peaceful mammals are the ultimate underwater farmers. By grazing extensively on coastal seagrass beds, they stimulate fresh growth, maintaining critical marine ecosystems that support hundreds of other species and sequester immense amounts of carbon.
The Stark Reality: Once widespread along our coastlines, their numbers have fallen to an estimated 200 individuals. Found only in small pockets like Palk Bay, the Gulf of Mannar, the Gulf of Kutch, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, they face severe threats from habitat loss and accidental fishing net entanglement.
Protecting the dugong means protecting our coastal lifelines. Let’s ensure these gentle guardians remain an absolute conservation priority. 🐋💙
