Six dugongs were sighted during the dugong monitoring activity held by the Protected Area Management Office of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (PAMO-SBPS) across selected areas of the protected seascape from 28 April to 5 May.
Thru its Protected Area Resource, Management, and Protection Unit, the team recorded six sightings of dugongs, (𝘋𝘶𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘶𝘨𝘰𝘯), three individuals in Glan, two in Alabel, Sarangani, and one in General Santos City.
Said dugongs were observed stationary just below the water surface and appearing to bask under the sun during the morning hours between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
The sightings indicate that Sarangani Bay continues to provide suitable habitat for dugongs despite recent losses, including the death of a pregnant dugong in General Santos City in February 2026.
The recent sightings offer a positive sign for local marine conservation efforts and reaffirm the ecological importance of Sarangani Bay as a refuge for dugongs.
The initiative forms part of continued efforts to monitor and safeguard one of the country’s most vulnerable marine mammal species.
PAMO-SBPS emphasized that sustained protection of seagrass beds, responsible coastal practices, and continued scientific monitoring are essential to ensuring that these rare marine mammals continue to survive in Philippine waters.