Dennis Nona

This print depicts the Taru Garaka or Scout Dugong moving around the reef checking to see if it is free from predators (humans and sharks) and that the tide is suitable for the heard to enter and feed on the sea grass beds. Moving anti clockwise from the bottom left of the print the Taru Garaka is depicted swimming around the reef and rising to the surface at intervals of four to five minutes and exhaling from its two nostrils. Once the Taru Garaka is satisfied the reef is safe to enter it will signal this to the dugong heard waiting outside the reef.