When a group of divers decided to explore the remote island of Kokoya, in Indonesia recently, they made an extremely troubling discovery!

Trapped in cages, there on the shallow ocean floor, were two dugongs. Dugongs are rare marine mammals which are closely related to manatees.

The unfortunate animals, also called “sea cows,” looked like a mother and her calf. They were being held in separate cages. The baby dugong was being held in the cage without being restrained, but the adult was secured with a rope that was wrapped around her tail.

The two dugongs had been caught by a local fisherman, and he was obviously using them to profit from tourists.

“He asked for some money if we want to see the dugong or take a picture,” Delon Lim, one of the divers, said.

It wasn’t entirely clear how long the two dugongs had been held captive, but Lim guesses that they had been confined there for more than a few weeks.

“It seems so,” Lim said. “The ropes are worn and torn. The scars and the wound on her tail are so deep. It was very heartbreaking.”

The divers were permitted to go into the cage with the adult dugong, and they took photos and video of her unthinkable torment.

Watch the heartbreaking video below:

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