Dugong

Hello there! My name is Dugong. I live in the warm, shallow waters of the big, blue ocean. I am a big, gentle animal, and some people say I look like a swimming potato with a mermaid's tail! My skin is grey and smooth, and I use my strong, flat tail to swish-swish-swish through the water.

My favorite thing to do is eat! I am primarily herbivorous, mainly eating seagrass, but I occasionally consume invertebrates. I love to munch and crunch on yummy seagrass all day long. I use my strong snout to nibble the grass from the ocean floor. Because I love grazing on grass so much, people call me a 'sea cow'. Mooooo!

My munching is a very important job. When I eat the seagrass, I am like a lawnmower for the ocean, keeping the seagrass meadows neat and healthy. This helps make a happy, healthy home for all the other little fish and sea creatures who live there too. I am a helpful gardener of the sea, and that is my special role in our amazing ocean world.