Dugong Spotting 101: Respecting Egypt's Sea Cows

A dugong is a marine mammal, not a fish — related to manatees, and often nicknamed a "sea cow" because it grazes on seagrass meadows in shallow coastal bays. They're air-breathers, surfacing every few minutes to breathe before dropping back down to feed. In the Red Sea, they favor exactly the kind of shallow, seagrass-covered bay our trip visits.

Dugongs are naturally cautious and far less used to boat traffic than the resident dolphin pods further north. They're also legally protected in Egypt. A single bay might only see a dugong feed in on its own schedule — not on a tour timetable — which is why our trip pairs the seagrass bay with a second stop at a reef known for resident green turtles, so the day isn't riding on one sighting alone.

A boat full of excited swimmers converging on a dugong at once is usually enough to send it further out — they're shy, not curious like dolphins can be. The approach that works is the opposite of instinct: move slowly, keep your distance, and let the guide position the group rather than swimming ahead on your own.

The second stop is a coral reef stretch with resident green turtles — a far more reliable sighting than the dugong, and usually the highlight guests remember most. Between stops there's a proper lunch on board, so the day has real downtime built in rather than rushing site to site.