NAHA - A dugong, a nationally protected species feared to be at risk of extinction, was spotted swimming off the coast of Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April. This marks the first confirmed sighting of a dugong in Okinawa since 2019.
The footage was taken on April 29th at a diving site southwest of Kume Island. A diver can be seen pointing in astonishment as the marine mammal glides peacefully through the water. The dugong is estimated to measure over two meters in length.
Kaji Harumi, a diving instructor who captured the footage, recalled the moment with excitement, saying it was the first time in her 20 years of diving that she had seen a dugong and that the encounter felt "unbelievable."
Kaji from Kumejima Diving Center SHIRAHAMA said: "I never thought I’d ever meet such a creature through diving, so this became an unforgettable, irreplaceable dive and a truly valuable experience."
Dugongs, which are designated as a national natural monument, are known to graze on seagrass beds in waters around Okinawa’s main island and the Sakishima Islands. Evidence of feeding has been found in these areas in the past.
Hiroyuki Ozawa, director of the Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Environmental Science and a dugong expert, confirmed the animal as a dugong based on the shape of its head and tail and the absence of a dorsal fin. He added that based on the body’s scars and other features, it is likely the same individual that was captured in Taiwan in April and later released into the sea.
The last dugong confirmed in Okinawa was found dead in Nakijin Village in 2019. The Okinawa government is now considering conducting a survey to investigate dugong habitation around Kume Island.
Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV
