Efforts to photograph dugongs underwater are usually frustrated by relatively poor visibility which is exacerbated as they stir up the seabed whilst feeding. This area includes all the Islands between Africa and Australia such as the Mascarenes, Chagos, Cocos Keeling, Maldives etc. They are apparently also extinct along the northwestern cost of India. Populations were reported from other parts of India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia . Again, more information from this area would be welcome.
Many dugong die in turtle and shark nets annually and others are harpooned for their meat.
Dugongs are still sighted by fishermen, who believe them to be decreasing in abundance. Although dugongs are totally protected by law, sometimes they are accidentally captured in fishing nets or killed by illegal fishing using explosives. Meat is illegally sold in the market. Dugongs Hit the News in Peninsular Malaysia. However, they 'have featured in the news in peninsula Malaysia since late January, when a dugong calf was caught in a fishing net in Johor.