HMAS Labuan rescues dugongs

25 April 2010

While enroute to Cooktown 23 April 2010, a crewmember of HMAS Labuan sighted three dead dugong caught in a net in the outer Cairns harbour shipping channel. The crew discovered another dugong and a small shovel nose shark still alive and both were immediately freed to increase their chance of survival.

The Queensland Department of Parks and Wildlife then approved HMAS Labuan to retrieve the net from the water. Two of the dead dugongs are around 2 meters in length and the third one to have died is around 3 meters long. HMAS Labuan returned to Trinity Wharf so Parks and Wildlife officials can take custody of the net and the three deceased dugongs.

Officials from Parks and Wildlife and the Cairns Port Authority have thanked Navy for their efforts to release the dugong and removing a dangerous hazard to wildlife and shipping from the environment.

View the image gallery. (warning these images may cause some distress).