Thai Park Officials Spot Dozens of Rare Sirenians in Undisturbed Waters

Thai national park workers observed dozens of dugongs – a rare sirenian similar to manatees – in usually highly trafficked waters that have been undisturbed during the coronavirus lockdown, officials said.

In the waters off the Hat Chao Mai National Park in the Trang Province, officers working with the Marine National Park Operation spotted a pod of more than 30 of the dugongs feeding on sea grass near the Libong Islands.

Drone footage posted April 22 shows the mammals in an area normally populated with tourist and fishing boats. Local media reported that leatherback sea turtles and dolphins had also been seen in the area as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Credit: Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation via Storyful