Fraser Island Dugong
Dugong play an interesting role in Australia’s history with sailors in the past spending years at sea. It is thought that it was during these times that the idea of ‘mermaids’ came about. After a long time at sea with no female company the sailors became somewhat ‘anxious’ at the thought of not seeing a lady for several months. It is said that the female dugong has breasts and sits upright on the ocean floor when feeding her young. Perhaps to the sailors this looked as close to a female as they had seen for quite some time.
The Dugong is also known as the sea cow, for the reason that they feed solely on sea grass. The Great Sandy Straits has 6 types of sea grass growing at depths of up to 20 metres, making it a haven for dugong feeding and breeding. As our population grows along the east coast of Australia the habitat of the Dugong is decreasing, thus making it an endangered species. Another reason the dugong numbers are declining is that they are relatively slow breeders, not reaching sexual maturity until around 9 and waiting between 3 and 6 years between calves.