Thread: Dugong found dead on Sattahip beach

A dugong was found dead on Nang Ram Beach in Sattahip.


The dead dugong was found by the Sea Turtle Conservation Center of the Royal Thai Navy. According to officials, the dugong was about ten-years-old, weighed 200 kilograms, and measured two meters in length.

Its two front flippers were decaying, but the cause of its death was still unknown, the officials told local media. “This dugong was in the same herd that has been feeding on seagrass at Sattahip Bay. Divers and tourists saw them all the time,” the officials stated.

The officials added that the Royal Thai Navy tried to alert Sattahip residents about the dugong population situation on a regular basis, but some fishing boats still violated the law by encroaching on Sattahip Bay to fish, which put the dugongs’ lives at stake.

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Originally Posted by misskit

some fishing boats still violated the law by encroaching on Sattahip Bay to fish

And presumably are never punished for it.

Thai Navy admits it cannot police the seas of a small bay

No signs of human-inflicted injuries found on dead dugong in Sattahip

An investigation into the death of a dugong found on Sattahip beach still could not find a clear link to humans.

Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, revealed today, October 3rd, that a dead dugong found on Nang Ram Beach in the Sattahip district of Chonburi was a female, measured 234 cm in length and weighed about 200–300 kg.

The dugong’s body condition score was 3/5, based on a marine grading system. No serious external wounds were found on the carcass, apart from a minor scrape inflicted after its death, Atthaphon told local media. The anticipated time of death was 2-3 days prior.

The director-general carried on that there were no indications of the dugong being entangled with fishing nets. But ,there was a wide bruise under the dugong’s fat layer around its nape. No fracture to the cervical vertebrae was found. The dugong’s stomach was full of seagrass remnants and small debris, which Atthaphon said was normal these days.

An initial conclusion found that the dugong died after getting hit on its nape by a hard, round object. The veterinarian collected muscle tissue of the dugong for a further pathological investigation.

Lastly, Atthaphon instructed relevant officials to keep an eye out for illegal fishing to protect the remaining endangered dugongs and other rare sea animals in Sattahip seas.


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The dugong’s body condition score was 3/5

Yeah, that's about mine too.