A mermaid has been spotted in the waters of the Nansha Islands.

Researchers Discover Dugong Activity Near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands

On August 20, the environmental protection department stationed on Yongshu Reef and the Island Reef Comprehensive Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that since July this year, researchers have continuously monitored the activity of dugongs, a nationally protected first-class animal, in the coastal waters near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands.

According to the researchers, on July 8 this year, inspectors from the environmental protection department on Yongshu Reef first spotted a “large fish” surfacing for air in the waters southwest of the island. Over the following month, they continued to observe its activity in the area. On August 2 and 3, inspectors and stationed researchers twice observed the “large fish” at close range and collected video footage.

After identification by marine animal experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the animal was confirmed to be a dugong, which had been declared functionally extinct along the mainland coast of China.

This is the first time researchers have discovered continuous activity traces of the critically endangered dugong in the coastal waters near Yongshu Reef. It not only fills a gap in the species distribution of the area but also represents the first scientifically documented live dugong record in the Nansha Islands and the central South China Sea in nearly 30 years.

The dugong is the only extant marine species in the Dugongidae family of the order Sirenia. Known in folklore as the “mermaid” due to the female’s habit of cradling its young while nursing, it is one of the oldest marine mammals on Earth. It is primarily found in the shallow coastal waters of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This herbivorous marine mammal, which can grow up to 3 meters in length, plays a key role in maintaining the health of seagrass bed ecosystems. Its feeding behavior promotes seagrass renewal and helps sustain biodiversity in its habitat.

This discovery provides critical clues for studying the cross-sea migration and dispersal of the species under the dual influence of global change and human activities.

Previously, activity traces of nationally protected first-class animals such as green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles were found near Yongshu Reef. “Green sea turtles rely on sandy beaches for nesting and reproduction, the survival of hawksbill sea turtles is closely linked to coral reef health, and the appearance of dugongs signifies the integrity of the seagrass bed ecosystem. The successive discovery of these three species in the waters of Yongshu Reef highlights the unique ecological value of the island reef ecosystem.”

Researchers noted that dugongs usually prefer to move in groups, often appearing in family groups of two to three. Why this individual was alone and “wandering” here remains to be studied through further monitoring.