Dugongs are closely related to elephants, even though they live in the sea — they share a common ancestor from millions of years ago. Like elephants, they are gentle grazers. A dugong can eat up to 40 kilograms of sea-grass in a single day, ploughing slowly along the sandy seabed with its muscular snout, leaving trails in the sea-grass behind it.
Sea-grass meadows are some of the most important ecosystems in the ocean. They produce oxygen, store carbon, and provide food and shelter for hundreds of other creatures. Dugongs help keep these meadows healthy by grazing — a bit like how cows keep grassland healthy by eating and moving around, stopping any one plant from taking over.
Dugongs are shy and peaceful creatures that live mostly alone or in small groups. Baby dugongs, called calves, stay very close to their mothers and communicate with chirps and squeaks. The bond between a dugong mother and her calf can last for several years, with the young dugong learning which seagrass patches to visit from its mother.