In the past week a pair had been spotted in the estuary and on Saturday one of them was found dead and a necropsy is being conducted to help determine the exact cause (it is believed to have been a lactating female).

Dugong dead and another under observation at Stuarts Point.

There are grave concerns for the surviving animal as the water at Stuarts Point is too cold for it to survive long-term.  It is extremely rare to see them this far south, as they prefer warmer water (the most southerly population in Australia is at Moreton Bay, Queensland).

An ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) volunteer patrolling the estuary on a kayak has managed to photograph the surviving animal and estimates it to be approximately two metres in length.  In a worrying sign it is being weighed down by a thick cover of algae.

Dugong experts from Dolphin Marine Magic, Seaworld and the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are at the scene to try to determine what can be done for the animal.  The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is coordinating the effort.

“We need to await the results of the necropsy and continue to gather as much information as possible before we make any firm plans,”  Shona Lorigan, vice president of ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) explained. 

She urges anybody with information or photos to contact ORRCA’s hotline on 9415 3333.