Dugongs cannot stay submerged for long periods of time and need to constantly breathe since they are mammals. Dugons swim at a very slow pace about 5 kilometers per hour, though they have been know to reach speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour. This suggests that they have very few natural predators. Dugongs are frequently on the prowl for more food but have also been know to return to the same feeding grounds. Some Dugongs have been know to travel 200 kilometers in search of food.
Dugongs feed on a wide range of seagrasses and consume large amounts of seagrass.
This is due to the seagrasses relatively low nutrient value. They feed on the whole plant, including the Rhizome and the roots. The mouth of the dugong is pointed townward to allow them to feed off the sea bottom even when their body is in a horizontal position. Dugongs in the wild can be seen singly, mother and calf pairs, small groups, or in a herd of up to a hundred of animals. They are presumed to be social animals.