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A gentle, slow-moving marine mammal known as the 'sea cow', grazing seagrass meadows with its broad downturned snout and propelling itself with a dolphin-like fluked tail. In Egypt it survives in small numbers around Marsa Alam, especially the seagrass bays of Abu Dabbab and Marsa Mubarak.
This is a protected or non-target species — please don't fish for it. If it's accidentally hooked, release it quickly and unharmed.
Eating & safety
Keep a respectful distance and never block its path to the surface; Egypt's dugongs are critically few and easily stressed.
Best conditions: Calm seagrass bays at midday when dugongs surface to graze and breathe
Dugongs are the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal and are thought to have inspired ancient mermaid legends.