The dugong (DOO-gong) is a rare, nearly extinct marine mammal.  A relative of the manatee, the dugong has a whale-like tail and is without question the oddest-looking creature we have ever seen underwater.  It feeds on seagrass in sandy, shallow bays.  We found this very amiable dugong in Lamen Bay, on Epi Island in Vanuatu in August 2001.  The scar on its side was probably made by an outboard motor.

Music is from Oceania, a New Zealand Maore band, from the 1999 CD “Oceania,” from which another of the cuts was chosen as the America’s Cup theme.