Sea cow

On December 23rd, 2002, a dugong weighing approximately 400kg and measuring 2.75m in length died after being entangled in a fisherman’s net in the waters off Phu Quoc, Kien Giang province. The Kien Giang Fisheries Resources Protection Bureau transferred the specimen to the Institute of Oceanography for research and display purposes. After being treated and preserved in formalin for about a year, the specimen was transferred to an aquarium for storage and display. This was the first intact dugong specimen in Vietnam.

Dugongs (Dugong dugon), also known as sea cows, are herbivorous marine mammals that can reach over 3 meters in length and weigh nearly 1 ton when fully grown. They are primarily distributed in the coastal regions of the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, from the coast of East Africa to Vanuatu. Unfortunately, the dugong is now only found in limited numbers in Con Dao and Phu Quoc due to their slow movement and large size, which makes them vulnerable to getting trapped in fishing nets. In addition to overfishing, environmental pollution and climate change are also causing a serious decline in the dugong population, making them a rare and endangered species in need of protection.