After going on the Dugong spotting tour in Koh Libong, I had an opportunity to talk to one of the tour guides from Trang who had reasonable facility with English. When I told him that we had sighted four individual dugongs, he said that we were very lucky as from his experience, only 10% of such tours are successful in seeing a dugong. When I asked about the social behavior of the dugongs, he told me that dugongs usually travel in a herd of up to 8 individuals.

Doing some further investigation on my own, I learned that the dugong herd typically consists of females and their calves; the males - for the most part - are solitary, only getting together with the females to mate. Furthermore, during the day the dugongs stay (resting quietly) in the deep sea coming to the shallow coastal areas, inlets and mangroves at night to feed eat on sea grass.

That could explain, why there are so few dugong sightings on these day tours as the herds are active mostly at night. I surmise that the individuals that we saw were solitary males patrolling their territory, but who I am to know!

As sort of a gag, I produced an impromptu video where I am seen swimming in the open seas impersonating a female dugong, in the hope of attracting a male dugong. Bret, the young and affable Canadian, provided the humorous narration

One of the more popular activities for visitors to Koh Libong, a relatively obscure island destination in southern Thailand, is a Dugong spotting tour. There are a reported 70-80 dugongs that live in the shallow waters and mangroves off the southeastern coast of this small island.

Commonly refered to as a sea cow because it’s diet consists primarily of sea grass, the dugong is a relatively large sea mammal and is related to the manatee. Since the early 20th century, the dugong populations in the wild have been in severe decline and they are now considered a rare or endangered species.

The Dugong spotting tour consists of going out to sea early in the morning by motorized longtail boat to a location where the dugongs have been observed before, and sitting there quietly in the hope that one will show up. If there is a dugong in the area, the creature will periodically come up for air - albeit for less than a second - before it submerges in the water. When the Dugong appears, the boatman will point and say Dugong – then before you can say boo, the creature is gone.

While I was in Koh Libong, I went on the Dugong tour with a Canadian couple - Bret and Annabell - apparently there were four individual sightings, however I was only able to observe only two as I was busy shooting the breeze with Bret. I distinctly remember the last sighting - one large dugong came up for air, then rolled over displaying a cream colored belly. That was quite impressive – but it lasted for no more than two seconds at the most.

It’s too bad these guides do not know more than just a few words of English so they could share their knowledge about the natural history of these unique creatures. Because of the lack of commentary, the tour is sort of a waste of time (and money) unless you’re your sole purpose was to have an opportunity to get a brief glimpse of this rare sea mammal. Remember there is no guarantee that you will even see this elusive creature.

Believe it or not, my search for the the most eco-friendly beach destination in THAILAND has uncovered a place I haven’t been to yet, and that is Koh Libong! I am sure most travelers have never heard of this relatively obscure island as well.

Koh Libong is the largest island in southern Thailand’s Trang Province. The island is home to a rather substantial colony of Dugongs, a large marine mammal that is closely related to the manatees. These creatures feed on the sea-grass beds that flourish off Koh Libong’s southeast coast. A colony of green turtles are also residents of the island.

From what I have read, there is more of a commitment to an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism industry in Trang Province than anywhere else in Thailand. The governor of Trang Province has gone on record stating that he wants to avoid the haphazard and reckless tourism development that has ruined other island destinations in Thailand i.e. Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi etc.

In order to protect the natural beauty of the region, the Swedish Government has funded a master plan for sustainable development in Trang Province. In particular, on Koh Libong, Swedish environmentalists and Thai academicians from Bangkok have joined forces in an effort to make the island an ecotourism model for the region.

Three small Muslim fishing villages are scattered around the island – the native people in these communities seem to be enlightened about the need for conservation and environmentally friendly practices. The interior is home to rubber plantations and is heavily forested. There are only a handful of small resorts, all located on the west coast of the island. While many small beaches surround the island, there is only one “classical tropical beach” – a 1 KM stretch of golden sand fronted by clear, aquamarine waters.

Since I have never been to Koh Libong, I will have to wait to till I visit this island (and Trang Province), before I can assess the staying power of this sustainable tourism movement. If history teaches us anything, tourism development is usually guided by greed (and the pursuit of the almighty dollar) and has destroyed many an idyllic paradise.

Only time will determine the fate of Koh Libong and other island destinations in Trang Province. I have plans to do some reconnaissance there in 2010!

For your information, over the Christmas Holidays, I plan to visit Ko Lipe, considered by many to be overall, the most beautiful island in Thailand. From what I have read, Koh Lipe is another Island Paradise that’s on the threshold of getting trashed!