Con Dao has a rare herd of dugongs after many years

The Dugong marine mammal, once thought to be extinct, suddenly appeared near the shore of Con Dao, surprising and exciting locals and tourists.

On June 22, people in Con Dao (now Ho Chi Minh City) were surprised to see a school of dugongs appear along the coast. They swam in the clear blue water, making everyone excited. Photo: Znews.

Dugong is also known as sea cow, "mermaid" or dugong. The name dugong is explained by locals as the species bends down to the seabed to eat seagrass and seaweed. Photo: worldwildlife.

The scientific name of the sea cow is Dugong dugon. This is a marine mammal belonging to the dugong family, classified as vulnerable in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2023. Photo: worldwildlife.

When fully grown, each dugong is about 4m long and weighs 400kg. Photo: Sven Gruse—EyeEm/Getty Images.

In Vietnam, dugongs are only recorded in the waters of Con Dao and Phu Quoc (now An Giang province). Photo: cinoby—E+/Getty Images.

According to experts, dugongs appear in the waters of Con Dao and Phu Quoc. Con Dao is considered a place with many favorable conditions for seagrass to grow, a habitat for many rare marine species such as sea turtles and dugongs. Photo: australian.museum.

The frequency of seeing dugongs living and feeding in Con Dao is highest in June and September. Adult dugongs as well as juveniles are often active during high tide. Photo: australian.museum.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/con-dao-xuat-hien-dan-bo-bien-quy-hiem-sau-nhieu-nam-post1550546.html