Qld couple save stranded dugong

A morning stroll along the beach with their dog has turned into a dugong rescue operation for a Queensland couple.

Brenda and Les Irwin were walking their dog at Burrum Heads Beach on Queensland's Fraser Coast when they came across a dugong stranded on the shore.

"The dog had a sniff at it and nearly peed her pants when it moved!" Ms Irwin wrote on a Facebook post.

The couple and their neighbours helped keep the dugong wet and cool before the incoming tide took it back to the sea.

Beachgoers have been encouraged to ring RSPCA if they come across stranded marine animals, but RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty praised the couples efforts.

"It's wonderful they were able to keep the dugong wet and look after it," he told AAP.