Brian Jeffrey
Con Dao features 18 beautiful beaches, where both green and hawksbill turtles, known locally as “vich,” come to lay their eggs. Significant nesting sites include Cat Lon, Bai Duong at Hon Bay Canh, and several Cat Lon locations on Hon Cau and Hon Tre Lon, as well as Hon Tai beach. Each of these areas has ranger stations in place to safeguard the local environment and protect the turtles.
The turtle nesting season in Con Dao, located in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, runs from April to October, with the busiest activities taking place from July to September. During these months, many tourists and volunteers arrive to engage in conservation efforts and learn about the importance of protecting sea turtles.
Late at night, particularly during high tide, female turtles make their way to the beach to find the perfect nesting locations. They usually dig nests that are about 50-60cm deep and 20cm wide before laying their eggs.
A single mother turtle can lay between 50 and 120 eggs in a night and may repeat this process 3 to 5 times within the nesting season.
Among the 14 beaches in Con Dao known for turtle nesting, Hon Bay Canh records the highest activity, with 20-30 mother turtles coming ashore to lay eggs on busy nights during the breeding season.
 |
 |
After the female turtles depart, rangers from Con Dao National Park carefully collect the eggs and transfer them to incubation facilities to improve hatching success rates and protect them from various threats.
After an incubation period of approximately 45-60 days, the eggs hatch, and visitors have the unique opportunity to help release the baby turtles back into the ocean, creating a memorable experience.
“Witnessing this incredible life cycle of turtles is truly awe-inspiring. Participating in this event not only supports turtle preservation but also promotes environmental awareness,” commented Mai Trinh, a visitor from Quang Nam.
Interestingly, baby sea turtles can remember the environment of their birthplace. After about 25-30 years, once they reach maturity, they return to the exact location to reproduce. Sea turtles are classified as endangered, appearing in both Vietnam’s Red Book and the international endangered species listing. With an incredibly low survival rate—approximately 1 in 1,000 hatchlings reach adulthood—Con Dao is vital as it accounts for over 85% of nesting activity for sea turtles in Vietnam. In 2023 alone, more than 100,000 baby turtles were successfully incubated and released into the ocean.
