Endangered Australian Marine Animals

The list of endangered species in the world is large. Every continent has its own list of species that are in trouble. Australia is no different. The lists can be broken down into different categories. For example, Australia’s list contains several marine mammals. Knowing the different endangered marine mammals in Australia brings attention to these species and what is threatening their survival.

  1. Australian Sea Lions

    • The Australian sea lion is indigenous to Australia. They have big heads and small, thin flippers. They are considered a sexually dimorphic species, according to Marinebio, which means the males and female of the species look different. The males are considerably larger than the females of the species. The males are dark brown with yellow markings around the neck, similar to a lion’s mane. The females range colors of silvery in color to dark brown. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were hunted for the hides and the oils their bodies contain. Today, they are often caught in fishing nets which threatens their numbers.

    Dugongs

    • Also known as sea cows, dugongs are marine mammals found in the shallow waters surrounding the northern coast of the continent. These animals look very similar to the Florida manatee. The most prominent difference is their tails. A manatee has a large flat tails that look like a beaver's. The dugongs have tails that are shaped like a dolphins, according to KidCyber.com. Dugongs are also smaller than the Florida manatee. Just as it is believed sailors mistook manatees as mermaids, it is believed the stories of mermaids off the coast of Australia were actually sightings of the dugongs. Although they are the prey of more aggressive animals such as sharks, killer whales and crocodiles, humans also pose a serious threat to their survival. Fishing nets often entangle these creatures. Humans have also destroyed the sea grass where they eat.

    Humpback Whale

    • Although they are migratory animals that can be found throughout the world, humpback whales are often found off the coast lines of Australia. These whales eat a diet of small animals, including plankton, fish and krill. Like most mammals, the humpback whale mothers keep their young with them, nursing them for the first year. Despite their average 40-ton weight, a full-grown humpback whale is capable of jumping out of the water in a motion that is known as breaching. According to Earth Trust, despite improving numbers, humpback whales remain on the endangered species list because of whaling, or the hunting of whales for their meat, bones and oils.