TRANG — 21 April 2026, Drone footage has captured a rare sight of two dugongs embracing and mating in the sea off Koh Libong, a key habitat in southern Thailand often dubbed the “dugong capital”, researchers said.
The images were released by the Lower Andaman Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre, whose director, Santi Nilwat, said the behaviour had not been documented in the area for several years.
Surveys also found multiple groups of dugongs, typically 3 to 7 animals, scattered around the Koh Libong archipelago in Kantang district, signalling a positive trend after the animals had previously migrated due to seagrass die-offs.
Since February 2026, aerial and drone surveys have recorded at least 72 dugongs in Trang waters, including at least two mother-calf pairs. No dugong strandings have been reported so far this year, in contrast to previous years when deaths were linked to seagrass shortages.
Parts of the seagrass beds, covering more than 20,000 rai (about 3,200 hectares), have begun to recover, providing a vital food source and encouraging the animals’ return.
Santi said Trang had seen dugong migration in recent years, but the latest findings suggest a recovery in both the population and their habitat.
Koh Libong remains the area with the highest concentration of dugongs due to its extensive seagrass meadows. In past years, around 10 stranded dugongs were typically recorded annually, rising to about 20 deaths per year in 2024–2025 due to deteriorating seagrass, which forced the animals to migrate and left some starving.
“This year, no strandings have been found in Trang, which is very encouraging,” he said.