My initial encounter with this dugong (Dugong dugon: 250 cms.) was at a depth of ten metres where it was feeding voraciously on sea grass near Marsa Alam in the Egyptian Red Sea. I then stayed with it for about half an hour, during which it made five trips to the surface in order to breathe. The animal appeared unperturbed by my presence and stopped twice during its ascents to inspect me; some strands of sea grass being visible in its mouth and on its belly. This photograph was taken at just such a moment. Sadly, dugongs are becoming rarer; the IUCN Red List indicates that they are vulnerable.

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Size: 2818px × 3094px
Location: Near Marsa Alam, southern Egyptian Red Sea
Photo credit: © Terence Dormer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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