A dead dugong was found floating in the waters south of Big Sister's Island.

Big Sister's Island is one of the two southern islands (together known as Sisters' Islands), facing the open sea.

Dugong carcass found near southern islands

A veteran naturalist, Ria Tan, posted the photo of the carcass on Jan. 10.

The photo shows the motionless male dugong faced up in the water with parts of its skin on the underbelly bubbled up.

The bloated carcass was spotted south of Big Sister's Island from a boat on Jan. 9 afternoon, according to Tan's post.

Endangered dugongs sighted in feeding on Singapore shores

Dugongs are one of the most highly endangered animals in the world.

They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which means they are at high risk of extinction in the wild.

The loss of feeding grounds, such as the seagrass habitats, is the main reason for their dwindling population, apart from the fact that they have a low reproduction rate.

Therefore, protecting seagrass habitats has become important to ensure the survival of this species.

In Singapore, dugongs are spotted on northeastern and southern shores.

While the sighting of dugongs is rare, many naturalists often spot dugong feeding trails in our seagrass meadows at areas such as Chek Jawa and Pulau Semakau.

Conserving these seagrass meadows becomes vital for the wild dugongs in waters around Singapore.

Top photo via Ria Tan's Facebook