The Dugong: Meet the Gentle Sea Cow That Is the State Animal of the Andamans

Most visitors come to the Andaman Islands for the beaches, the reefs and the sunsets, and leave having seen sea turtles, reef fish and perhaps a manta ray. Very few ever see the animal that the islands have chosen to represent them. The dugong, often called the sea cow, is the state animal of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and it is one of the rarest and most easily overlooked marine mammals in Indian waters. Understanding it makes a trip to these islands richer, and understanding what it needs makes every visitor a little more careful with the sea they enjoy.

What exactly is a dugong?

A dugong is a large, slow, gentle marine mammal that feeds almost entirely on seagrass, which is why it is sometimes described as the ocean's grazing animal. It is the only herbivorous marine mammal in Indian waters, and it belongs to the same wider family of sea mammals as the manatee. Sailors are said to have mistaken dugongs for mermaids centuries ago, and the legend has stayed with the animal ever since.

Dugongs are found in shallow tropical waters across the Indo-Pacific. In India, they survive in only three regions: the Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the highest level of legal protection in the country, which prohibits killing them or trading in their meat.

Why seagrass matters more than you might think

To understand the dugong, you have to understand seagrass. Researchers working in the Andamans have found that dugongs stay close to sheltered bays and channels with healthy, persistent seagrass meadows, and tend to avoid patchy meadows with little cover. The archipelago is home to a dozen species of seagrass, yet dugongs continue to feed in fewer than half of the meadows known around the islands.

Seagrass is not only food for the dugong. These underwater meadows shelter young fish, support the wider reef system and help keep coastal water healthy. When a dugong is thriving in a bay, it is a sign that the whole ecosystem around it is in good condition. This is why conservationists talk about protecting habitat, not only the animal.

How rare is the Andaman dugong?

The honest answer is that nobody knows precisely, and that uncertainty is part of the problem. Estimates from researchers suggest that fewer than a hundred dugongs remain in the Andaman and Nicobar region, and some field researchers believe the number could be as low as fifty. A global assessment released at the IUCN Conservation Congress in late 2025 described the survival of dugongs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as the Gulf of Kutch, as uncertain and highly challenged.

Dugongs also recover slowly. They breed at a low rate, and a population is unlikely to grow by more than about five percent a year even when conditions are good. That means every animal lost to a fishing net, a boat strike or the destruction of seagrass is very hard to replace.

Where have dugongs been recorded in the islands?

Researchers have documented dugongs in several parts of the archipelago, including Little Andaman, the Ritchie's Archipelago, South Andaman, and waters near Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Early survey work recorded sightings at Havelock, Neil and Kodiaghat in South Andaman, and more recent monitoring has identified individual dugongs around Shaheed Dweep by photographing them, with some of the most valuable sightings coming from recreational divers and local communities.

It is worth being clear about expectations here. Dugongs are shy, move quietly and spend their lives in places most visitors never reach. Seeing one is a matter of great luck, not something any operator can promise or arrange. If you ever do see one, it will be a moment you remember for the rest of your life.

What is being done to protect them?

Conservation in the Andamans has leaned heavily on local people. The Nature Conservation Foundation began studying dugongs and their seagrass habitat in the islands in 2007, and the work has since grown into a monitoring programme that relies on sighting reports from fishers, villagers and dive operators. The Wildlife Institute of India also runs a dugong recovery programme in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar governments, focusing on seagrass habitat surveys, research and community involvement.

Elsewhere in the country, Tamil Nadu established India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay in 2022, covering about 448 square kilometres of seagrass meadows. It is widely seen as a model for how habitat protection can support a species that is both rare and slow to recover.

The main threats are well understood. Entanglement in fishing gear, destructive fishing methods, strikes from fast-moving boats, and damage to seagrass beds all take a toll. Because dugongs surface to breathe and graze in shallow water, they are particularly exposed to boat traffic.

How visitors can help

Responsible travel in the Andamans does not require anything dramatic, but small choices add up. If you take a boat, ask your operator to keep to slow speeds in shallow bays and to stay away from seagrass areas. Never anchor on seagrass if you are able to avoid it, and do not step on or disturb seagrass beds while snorkelling or walking at low tide. Avoid single-use plastics, which end up in the water and entangle marine life. If you spot a dugong, keep a respectful distance, do not chase or try to touch it, and report the sighting to the local Forest Department or to your dive operator so it can be recorded.

Choosing operators and accommodation that treat the marine environment with care also matters, because the demand of visitors shapes how the islands are managed.

Stay close to the sea at SeaShell

SeaShell Hotels & Resorts has properties in Port Blair, Havelock and Neil Island, so your stay can sit beside the same waters that dugongs, turtles and reef life depend on. Whether you are on Swaraj Dweep or Shaheed Dweep, a slower itinerary with more time in the water and on the shore gives you the best chance of noticing the quieter wonders of the islands.

Planning a trip that goes beyond the beach? Explore SeaShell properties across Port Blair, Havelock and Neil Island and choose the island that suits your pace.

Want to see more of the marine life of the Andamans? Contact the SeaShell team for help planning snorkelling, diving and island-hopping with responsible operators.

Ready to book? Check availability at SeaShell for the 2026-27 season and secure your dates early.