How To Be A Mermaid/Marine Biologist
Pyllacanthus imperialis – Imperial Pencil Urchin
Echinometra mathaei – Matha’s Sea Urchin
Mesplia globula – Jewel Case Sea Urchin
Tagalog/Tagbanua: Tayong
There is a lovely variety of colorful sea urchins with all lengths and sizes of spines in the Coral Triangle. The Imperial Pencil Urchin is a dramatic orange maroon, Matha’s Sea Urchin has brown white tipped spines like a hedgehog and the Jewel case urchin has a vibrant royal blue that shines within the sea grass beds.
D is for Dugong
Tagalog: Duyong
Scientific name: Dugong dugon
We delight in devouring delicious, delicate sea grass shoots.
Dugongs are actually mammals, Isn’t that neat?
These gentle “sea cows” share the Order Sirenia (mermaid) with manatees. They graze in the underwater meadows of tropical sea grasses but are not complete vegetarians. Every once in awhile, they munch on a slow moving jellyfish, polychete worm, or sea squirt.
I discovered that the shy curious Dugong is attracted to surfboards. There is a nice little right point break near… (nope, not telling, he he he), where Dugongs pop their big noses out of the water, investigating you and the surfboard’s dugong-like silhouette. Gentle, graceful marine mammals, it IS like meeting a mermaid.
They are traditionally eaten in this area but are now protected. Being endangered and charismatic aquatic mammals, they bring significant tourist dollars to Busuanga. 30+ Dugongs now swim in the waters around northern Palawan and this year there were 3 calves.
Mermaid Scientist 