Dugongs of Busuanga: Meeting the Gentle Giants of Palawan

Coron is famous for shipwrecks, lagoons and limestone cliffs.

But travel toward the northern coast of Busuanga and you may encounter something much rarer:

a dugong swimming quietly above a meadow of seagrass.

Often called a “sea cow,” the dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large marine mammal related to the manatee. Unlike dolphins or whales, dugongs are herbivores, spending much of their time grazing on underwater seagrass.

And Busuanga is one of the special places where they can still be encountered in the wild.

Why Are There Dugongs in Busuanga?

The answer is beneath the water.

Dugongs depend heavily on healthy seagrass meadows for food. The waters around northern Busuanga and Calauit still contain important seagrass habitats capable of supporting them.

The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development reports that dugong populations around Calauit Island have been recovering through community management and conservation of their seagrass habitat.

Importantly, these waters form part of the ancestral domain of local Tagbanua communities, which have played an important role in protecting the animals and their habitat.

What Is Dugong Watching Like?

Forget the idea of an animal show.

These are completely wild animals.

A typical dugong-watching trip takes visitors toward feeding areas along the northern Busuanga coastline. Guides search the water for signs of a dugong surfacing to breathe.

When one is found, visitors may have an opportunity to enter the water and quietly observe it while snorkeling.

There is no guarantee that a dugong will appear.

And that is exactly how wildlife tourism should work.

The Municipality of Busuanga officially promotes Calauit Dugong Watching as one of the area's wildlife and nature experiences.

The Five-Metre Rule

Seeing a dugong does not mean swimming directly toward it.

Community conservation programs around Calauit have established strict guidelines intended to reduce disturbance to the animals.

Visitors may be required to remain at least five metres away, with interaction time limited and the number of tourists controlled.

The principle is simple:

You are entering the dugong's home. Let the dugong decide how close it wants to be.

Never chase one.

Never touch one.

Never attempt to feed one.

Avoid sudden movements and excessive noise.

And never stand on or damage the seagrass beneath you.

The Real Star Is the Seagrass

It is easy to focus entirely on the animal.

But without seagrass, there are no dugongs.

Seagrass meadows are among the most valuable coastal ecosystems in Palawan. They provide feeding and nursery areas for numerous marine species and help maintain healthy coastal environments.

Protecting dugongs therefore means protecting an entire ecosystem.

Is Dugong Watching Worth the Trip From Coron?

For wildlife lovers, absolutely.

But understand that this is generally a full-day experience when travelling from Coron Town.

The journey north also introduces visitors to a completely different side of Busuanga—quieter roads, small communities, coastal landscapes and considerably fewer tourists.

The area can also be combined with other northern Busuanga experiences, including Calauit Safari Park.

See It — But Protect It

A photograph of yourself swimming near a dugong can be extraordinary.

But the success of a dugong encounter should not be measured by how close you managed to get.

Sometimes the most responsible wildlife encounter means simply floating quietly and watching from a distance.

If the dugong continues feeding without changing its behaviour because you are there, you have probably had a better encounter.

Come to Busuanga to see something rare.

Leave it exactly as wild as you found it.

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