Encountering a dugong in the ocean is something you won’t soon forget. These large aquatic cousins of the manatee have fluked tails, thought to be the origin of mermaid lore, and downturned mouths that give the illusion of a perpetual sly smile. Dugongs are herbivore mammals with a taste for seagrass, their main food source. They are most often observed munching in underwater seagrass meadows, devouring not just the leaves but the entire root. It’s easy to see how these gentle creatures earned their bovine associations. They’re also known as…
