Studies confirm dugong presence near Komodo but no park-wide population census

Labuan Bajo — — A 2012 national review of dugongs and seagrass in Indonesia does not provide a population estimate for dugongs in Komodo National Park, even though it cites scientific literature reporting their presence in Selat Lintah, the strait separating Flores and Sumbawa within the park. A specialist Komodo marine-life page characterises dugong encounters in the area as exceptionally rare and offers no systematic survey data for the park.

The distinction between presence and population status is important when interpreting any claim that dugongs currently occupy Lintah Strait. The 2012 review states that its national assessment is based on a literature review and warns that limited available information makes the distribution and status of dugongs in Indonesia difficult to determine.

What the national review says

The document National Review of Dugong and Seagrass: Indonesia was prepared in December 2012 by Anugerah Nontji, Tri Edi Kuriandewa and Erix Hariyadi for the GEF/UNEP Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project. It compiles information from several regions, including East Nusa Tenggara, but does not present a dedicated, dated census or population estimate for Komodo National Park.

The review describes its approach explicitly as a literature review and notes that very little literature was available, meaning that the resulting picture may not accurately represent dugong distribution or conservation status in Indonesia. It relies partly on earlier work by Marsh and co-authors, citing their conclusion that dugongs are present in Komodo National Park within Selat Lintah, as well as references from Seagrass-Watch and other researchers confirming dugong presence in the park.

On feeding ecology, the review states that dugongs depend on seagrass and that seagrass constitutes about 90 percent of their diet, identifying the species as the only marine mammal that grazes intensively on seagrass. It also explains that changes in seagrass abundance and nutritional quality can affect dugong movement and reproductive cycles, underscoring habitat condition as a key factor in any assessment of dugong status.

The review notes that dugongs are protected in Indonesia under Ministry of Agriculture Decree No. 327/Kpts/Um/1972 and refers to Government Regulation No. 7 of 1999 on the protection of Indonesian flora and fauna, which lists Dugong dugon as protected fauna.

Local habitat and regional context

Regional habitat descriptions support the biological plausibility of dugongs in and around Komodo. A conservation initiative focusing on Komodo’s seagrass meadows describes the park’s seagrass habitats as some of the most extensive and diverse in Indonesia and notes that these areas support some of the last dugong populations in the Indonesian archipelago, although national distribution data remain poor and overall numbers are estimated at fewer than 1,000 individuals.

An Important Marine Mammal Area factsheet for the Western Lesser Sunda Islands and Sumba coastal area reports dugongs recorded close to seagrass beds at multiple locations and notes three individuals sighted in Komodo National Park based on community mapping, ground‑truthing surveys and direct sightings. These materials confirm dugong presence associated with seagrass habitat in the broader Lesser Sunda region, including Komodo, but do not offer a park‑wide population count.

What Komodo-specific sources add

A Komodo-focused diving and marine-life page describes Dugong dugon as an exceptionally uncommon encounter in waters around Komodo National Park. According to this page, sightings, when they occur, are associated with shallow bays that have extensive seagrass beds, and the species is considered difficult to see. The page gives an indicative depth range of zero to 10 metres but does not provide sighting dates, coordinates, survey methods or estimates of how many dugongs use the park.

The same source lists general pressures on dugongs, including habitat loss, boat strikes and entanglement in fishing nets, echoing broader scientific and conservation literature on dugong threats in Indonesia. However, it does not quantify those threats specifically for Komodo National Park or link any particular incident to Lintah Strait.

Assessment of current evidence

Taken together, the available sources show that dugongs have been recorded in Komodo National Park, including Selat Lintah, and that suitable seagrass habitat for dugongs occurs in and around the park. They also indicate that encounters reported by diving operators are rare and opportunistic rather than the result of systematic monitoring.

None of the sources identified provide a recent, park‑wide census of dugongs in Komodo or a quantified estimate of dugong numbers specifically using Lintah Strait. For readers assessing any claim of a resident or recovering dugong population in Lintah Strait, the current record supports the possibility of dugong presence associated with seagrass habitat but does not establish the size, continuity or trend of a local population.

Sources

• NATIONAL REVIEW OF DUGONG AND SEAGRASS: Indonesia (GEF/UNEP project)
• WCS Indonesia – Dugongs and Dragons initiative
• Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force – Lesser Sunda Sumba Coastal Area IMMA factsheet (PDF)
• Literature Review: Distribution and Feeding of Dugongs in Indonesia (Atlantis Press)
• Systematic Review of the Status, Knowledge, and Conservation of Dugongs in Southeast Asia (supplemental file)
• Komodo Diving — Dugong