SINGAPORE – A dead dugong was found floating in the waters off Bedok Jetty on June 6, marking the first local record of the marine mammal since 2021.
Republic Polytechnic student Jeremy Mark Ang, 19, was fishing at the popular East Coast Park spot with friends when they spotted a large, pale shape bobbing in the water at about 4.50pm.
Initially mistaking it for a big fish, the group was shocked to realise it was the bloated carcass of a dugong – a marine mammal that is considered to be critically endangered here. Ang estimated it to be about 2m long.
Also known as sea cows, dugongs are elusive creatures that typically graze on seagrass meadows. They are classified globally as vulnerable to extinction as they are particularly susceptible to human threats due to their long lifespans and slow reproduction rates.
“I really couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. It was quite sad because I know that they’re really rare, both in Singapore and in general,” Ang said. He added that he felt even worse when he saw what appeared to be plastic wrapped around the animal’s abdomen and tail.
A few children unsuccessfully tried to pull the carcass closer using fishing hooks, he recalled.
The dugong eventually washed ashore and was discovered farther along the East Coast Park beach by passers-by Saachi Iyer and Naina Dadlani at about 7.30pm.
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