Mozambique's amazing underwater world is the World's best kept secret. The Bazaruto Archipelago shelters East Africa's largest population of dugongs - a highly threatened marine mammal - as well as important populations of turtles, whales, dolphins, and the threatened whale shark. At Nyati Beach Lodge you have the opportunity to experience the extraordinary marine life of the Bazaruto Archipelago up close.
The dugong of the Bazaruto Archipelago
The Bazaruto Archipelago is today one of the largest nature reserves in Mozambique and it is believed that this is the only place along the East African cost that still hosts a significant dugong population. Dugongs are marine animals which can typically grow to about 3 meters in length and weigh as much as 500 kilos, although the largest known dugong was an exceptional female landed off the coast of west India, measuring 4.03 meters and weighing 1,018 kilos.
Dugongs are large grey mammals which spend their entire lives in the sea. The dugong has a thick layer of fat, which gives it a distinctly rotund posture. It has two small paddle-like flippers in front with five fingers used for swimming or walking on the sea floor uprooting grass. The tail of the dugong is split resembling that of whales and dolphins. The head of the dugong is round with a thick lip, sparse hairs grow along the mouth and the adult male dugong grows a pair of fangs like elephant's tusks, which it uses for fighting during male-male rivalry as well for uprooting sea grass.
Sea Cow, Mermaid and "Lady of the Sea"
Dugongs are sometimes called "sea cows", because they graze on sea grasses in large amounts. The word "dugong" derives from the Malay term "duyung", meaning "lady of the sea". Other common local names include "sea pig" and "sea camel".
Their movements are often slow and graceful and it is believed mermaid legends may have originated when sailors from a distance glimpsed dugongs swimming in the water, and mistook them for half-human/half-fish creatures because of their streamlined bodies and the large teats at the base of their flippers.
Where to find the dugong
Dugongs swim in the shallow coastal waters where they find protection from large waves and storms, and where the amount of sea grass is abundant.Thus it is relatively easy to spot the dugong if it is in the area. Dugongs breathe with lungs and must surface to breathe. However, unlike other aquatic mammals such as some whales, dolphins and porpoises, dugongs cannot hold their breath under water for very long and must surface to breathe air often. Dugongs surface only to breathe, and never come on to land. They like to live in large herds, but due to declining numbers are often now found in smaller "family" groups of between 1 and 3 Dugongs.
Breeding habits of the dugong
Though Aquatic, the dugong has live babies not eggs like fish and gestation in the Dugong lasts around 13 months. The female typically gives birth underwater to a single calf every three to seven years. Baby dugongs are about 100 to 120 cm long and weigh 20 to 30 kg. The calf stays with its mother until 18-24 months of age and does not become sexually mature until the age of 9-17, which is longer than for most other mammals. As a result, females give birth only a few times during their life, and invest considerable parental care in their young. The dugong has a lifespan similar to humans and can, if left alone, live up to 70 years.
The dugong is endangered
Dugongs are now a protected species in Mozambique as remaining populations of dugong are greatly reduced, although they once covered all of the tropical South Pacific and Indian Oceans. According to local fishermen, it was once very common to see dugongs in large numbers in Mozambique's waters, but those numbers have fallen dramatically because they have been hunted for food, and accidentally caught in fishing nets where they die as a result. Their naturally slow reproductive rate, long gestation period, and slow growth rate contribute to the fragility of the population. WWF has launched a number of campaigns in Southern Mozambique to help raise awareness of the endangered dugong.
Please explore the site to learn more about the leisure activities of Nyati Beach Lodge and the trips in and around the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary, which offer ample opportunities for exploring the extraordinary wildlife of the Archipelago.
