ABAN, THE FRIENDLY SEA COW FROM PALAWAN

Last month, we had an adventure on land, so this time we travel to the enchanted islands of northern Palawan, known among local explorers as one of the few places to swim with sea cows in the wild.

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are distant cousins of elephants, growing up to three meters and weighing about 400 kilogrammes. Also called sea cows, they inhabit shallow waters of the Indo-pacific, wherever seagrass is abundant. They are the fourth members of the order Sirenia, alongside the three manatee species. A fifth, the gigantic eightmeter long Steller’s sea cow, was completely wiped out by hunters by 1768, just 30 years after being discovered. Sizeable herds of dugongs once plied the Philippine archipelago until hunting and habitat destruction reduced numbers. Populations still hold out in Isabela, Mindanao, Guimaras and Palawan, but encounters are extremely rare. I waited 20 years to see one and my job sends me to wild places all the time.

Dugongs are thought to live as long as humans (about 70 years), but give birth to just a single calf every three to five years, carrying their calves in their wombs for up to 14 months, according to an article by Study.com! They are globally classified as vulnerable and are considered critically endangered and legally protected in the Philippines because of their incredibly sparse numbers. Ecologically, dugongs keep seagrass meadows cropped, healthy and productive – ensuring the sea has ample stocks of banak, samaral and other fish that live amidst the wafting fields of seagrass.

Says Palawan-based dugong researcher Dr. Teri Aquino, “We can learn a lot about sustainable use and responsible stewardship from the dugong. It consumes a lot of seagrass yet leaves the seagrass bed even healthier than before. When feeding, they help release micronutrients from the seabed, making nutrients more accessible for small fish – and this is why we always see fish swimming with dugongs. This gentle marine mammal living the simplest of lives is one of the best caretakers of our seagrass habitats and the animals that live in them.”

The lovable Aban grazes on Halophila seagrass, surrounded by flitting golden trevally. (Danny Ocampo)

(Top) Three dugong spotters at work. Though our guide said there were several animals in the area, it still took 40 minutes to see one. (Gregg Yan) (Right) Dugong swim-spotter showing off his homemade plastic fins, fashioned from old plastic drums. (Gregg Yan) (Left) Award-winning underwater photographer Danny Ocampo shot the dugong images for this special story. (Gregg Yan) (Lower left) Dugong spotters are experts at finding the tell-tale shadows of dugongs. They also patrol the coasts for poachers and illegal fishers – knowing that conserving dugongs safeguards their livelihoods. (Gregg Yan | Best Alternatives Campaign) (Lower right) Animal Scene columnist Gregg Yan is the founder of the Best Alternatives Campaign, an environmental-solutions group.