The chances of spotting a dugong in the Red Sea is almost zero, with only close to 1000 Dugongs estimated to inhabit its waters. However if you ever wanted better odds at spotting these unique creatures in the Red Sea, then head on over to Marsa Alam in south Egypt where at a nearby shallow bay known as Marsa Abu Dabab, you can meet Dennis and Dougal the two resident Dugongs and get a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with these magnificent creatures.
For those of you who are wondering what a Dugong is? Dugongs or Sea Cows are rare marine herbivorous mammals that closely resemble dolphins or whales in appearance but are related to elephants and are referred to as ‘sea cows’ because their diet consists mainly of sea-grass. Often confused with Manatee, that are found only in Florida, Dugongs have different shaped tails and swim in the shallow coastal waters were they find protection from large waves and storms. These unusual creatures are rapidly facing extinction as their numbers gradually decline, making dugong sightings for divers a rare thing indeed.
Abu Dabab is a semi-circular bay with a sandy bottom covered in patches of sea grass. With a maximum depth of just 15m-20m and shallows of 3m the bay is relatively shallow, however with the size of several football fields to cover, locating Dennis and Dougal is no easy feat. Scuba Divers visiting Abu Dabab are required to fan out and dive 3-4 meters apart to maximize their chances of spotting the dugongs so if one is spotted, the others divers can signal in the rest of the group. Though difficult to find at first, once spotted, the dugongs attract large groups of people to it.
The Dugongs of Marsa Alam are so popular that ever increasing groups of snorkelers join divers everyday just to get a glimpse of the creatures. One often feels sorry for the Dugong as tourists come within inches from the Dugong despite the fact that It is required to remain a minimum distance of 3- 4 meters away from the dugong at all times. However despite the large gatherings of divers and snorkelers all around, the Dugongs of Marsa Alam do not seem to be bothered as they proceed with their non-stop cow-like grazing. This behavior is fairly unique as Dugong are known to be extremely shy creatures and will retreat whenever a boat or diver approaches.
Abu Dabab dives are all shore dives, and apart from the area’s most popular inhabitants, there are plenty of other interesting creatures that visit the sea grass beds such as guitar sharks, turtles and remoras. Large green turtles are frequently sighted in the reef and will also graze on the lush sea grass patches. Remoras frequently accompany the Turtles, Dugong or the occasional unusual looking guitar shark removing the parasites off them while hitching a lift across the bay. Still visibility is not too great, and apart from the above mentioned inhabitants and sea grass, there isn’t much else to see in the bay.
The main attraction of the Abu Dabab dives still remains the unique opportunity to witness this fascinating species that will one day sadly be extinct. As you witness the smiling cow-like clumsy creature vacuum up the sea floor, you can’t help but feel frustrated that there are so few Dugong left in the world. So if you haven’t seen a Dugong yet and have it on your list of marine creatures to see, head on down to Egypt’s Marsa Alam and try your luck to trying to catch a glimpse of Dennis and Dougal.
