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Do you believe the little mermaid from fairy tales is real? Well, the ocean actually does have a "mermaid" of its own! She may not be as beautiful and enchanting as you imagined, though — quite the opposite: she's enormous, has a rather dopey look on her face, and is an absolute glutton. That creature is the dugong. To witness this "mermaid" with our own eyes, we joined a dive trip organised by Enjoy Islands and made the long journey to North Coron. Read on to find out whether we were lucky enough to swim alongside a dugong!
Full article reproduced from: Enjoy Islands
Full article reproduced with permission from Enjoy Islands. Click here for the original
We set off before the sun had fully risen
At the entrance to the dugong protection zone, dugong rangers are on duty and will board your boat to help everyone locate the dugongs. If you arrive too late, you'll have to queue — so make sure you don't head out too late! Each person must pay a 1,500p fee to enter the protected area. The dugong rangers will also brief everyone on the rules while on board; please be sure to follow them, as violations can result in fines!
The outfit our dive guide was wearing — too cute!
Dugong Protection Zone Rules
- The dugong protection zone is closed every Sunday — entry is not permitted
- Participants in the scuba diving programme must hold at least an Open Water Diver (PADI/SSI cert) certification
- When entering the water, you may only use the ladder — jumping in is strictly prohibited so as not to startle the dugongs
- Maintain a distance of at least 5 m from the dugongs; if you get too close, a dugong ranger will come over to remind you
- Touching the dugongs is absolutely strictly forbidden, with heavy penalties for violations
- The time allowed in the water to observe the dugongs is approximately 15–20 minutes; a dugong ranger will time you and let you know when it's time to leave
Swimming with Dugongs Is No Fantasy
The dugong rangers who enter the water first will begin searching for the dugongs. Once they spot one, they'll raise their hand — but they won't call out loudly, as that could easily frighten the animals. Here's a little tip: get your gear on and ready, then keep your eyes on the dugong rangers at all times. The moment they raise their hand, head straight down the ladder and into the water to meet the dugong!
Dugongs may look enormous, but they are actually incredibly agile and fast swimmers. They surface to breathe roughly every five minutes, which means that to get a decent shot of one, you'll have to chase it around — and that is genuinely exhausting! Still, given that dugongs are such rare and adorable "mermaids," no amount of effort feels like too much!
The adorable dugong (with a dugong ranger right behind it)
The easiest way to tell a dugong from a manatee is to look at their tails
A dugong heading up to breathe
Isn't that a silt-kicking diver right there?
Dugongs feed primarily on plants growing on the seabed — the roots, stems, and leaves of various marine plants, along with some algae — and they often consume entire plants whole. Watching a dugong eat is actually quite therapeutic. Like a vacuum cleaner, they use their mouths to excavate the sandy bottom, which often sends visibility plummeting across a wide area of the seabed — earning them the unofficial title of "silt-kicking diver"!
https://youtu.be/tDjoRZNx6mw?si=70t7c_su4qBT3wEm
One Island, One Hotel — Our Top Pick for Accommodation in North Coron
Many visitors to Coron choose to stay in the busier South Coron, but if you do, you'll need to wake up very early (around 4:00 a.m.), as the journey to the dugong protection zone takes roughly 3–4 hours. For this trip, we opted for the one-island, one-resort El Rio Y Mar in North Coron. The dive shop inside the resort is the Dugong Dive Center, which is run by Germans and is located right on the resort grounds. From here, the protection zone is less than 2 hours away by boat — very convenient!
Because this is a private island resort, everything you could possibly need is available on-site — a gym, a billiards room, a reading room, a pool, and a bar, among other things. You'll never be short of something to do; all manner of leisure activities are waiting for you to enjoy.
The resort serves a buffet breakfast every day, and lunch and dinner are also available, so there's no need to worry about going hungry. Also worth mentioning: the resort bar runs a Happy Hour buy-one-get-one-free deal every day from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a wide selection of cocktails to choose from. The best part? We tried 6 different cocktails and not a single one was a miss! Highly recommended — don't forget to stop by for a drink before dinner!
Watching the sunset and sipping cocktails after a dive — the greatest joy of being a diver!
Related Links
Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
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