The dugong can grow to about long and weigh as much as . They only come to the surface to breathe, and unlike seals, they never come up on the land. A baby dugong is called a calf. It drinks milk from its mother until about two years old. A dugong reaches its adult size between the ages of 9 and 17 years. The dugong can live for up to 70 years of age. They are grey to brown in color. They have a tail with flukes, like a whale, and flippers. They do not have a dorsal fin like a shark. They have a wide flat nose, small eyes, and small ears.