Build up a ‘home’ for sea turtles

Since 1991, Con Dao National Park (Con Dao district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau) began researching sea turtles as well as saving sea turtle eggs. However, in 1995, a representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) arrived in Con Dao to appreciate the conservation efforts of sea turtles here and support persons working to save sea turtles in Con Dao. Professionalization of research and conservation began after training in the Philippines. Con Dao has become the area with the largest number of turtles laying eggs, with the number of sea turtles laying eggs accounting for nearly 85% of the turtles laying eggs in the country's waterways.

The number of mother turtles nesting on beaches doubled

Green sea turtle, hawksbill, olive ridley, and loggerhead sea turtles were recorded in Con Dao waters between 1993 and 2022, according to a report on the results of sea turtle conservation efforts for the period 2020 to 2030 in Con Dao National Park.  However, since the year 2020, only one species, the green turtle, has been routinely recorded on the egg-laying grounds. Since 2002, the hawksbill species has not been recorded on the egg-laying grounds, although 3 to 5 immature hawksbill turtles reproducing on Con Dao coral reefs are captured annually.

Sea turtle conservation research activities have included tagging mother turtles to record information about the number of times they lay eggs during the breeding season, the mother turtle's egg-laying cycle, and the mother turtle's migration location; sea turtle egg rescue; wearing a satellite monitor; researching the effect of nest temperature on the sex of baby turtles; and studying the impact of coastal change on sea turtle reproduction.

With a rate of 76.98% of turtles hatching and migrating to the sea, Con Dao National Park is the first location to research and implement effective sea turtle conservation models suitable for Vietnam, which can then be applied in other regions.

The protection of reproductive grounds, as well as the rescue and relocation of turtle eggs, are carried out meticulously, with 18 sea turtle laying grounds (five of which have Ranger Stations) being strictly managed. In the last three years (2020-2023), an annual average of 782 mother turtles have laid eggs on the seashore, with 2,358 nests relocated, hatched, and 167,690 young turtles released back into the ocean.

After nearly 30 years of conservation efforts, the number of sea turtle mothers returning to Con Dao to deposit eggs is increasing. According to recorded data, the number of mother tortoises visiting egg-laying grounds has multiplied since 2010.

Con Dao has become an essential sea turtle conservation area in Vietnam, the region, and the globe due to the aforementioned factors. In 2009, Con Dao National Park set a national record for "the national park in Vietnam that released the most baby turtles into the sea." Con Dao National Park is the first Vietnamese entity to join the "Sea Turtle Conservation in the Indian Ocean - Southeast Asia" (IOSEA) network on October 22, 2019, becoming the eleventh member of this network.

The results of research on sea turtle conservation in Con Dao National Park are crucial data for the management and conservation of sea turtles not only in Con Dao, but throughout the country, thereby contributing to the management and conservation of sea turtles. 

Socializing conservation of marine turtles

In recent years, Con Dao National Park's sea turtle conservation efforts have received the attention, direction, and support of all levels of government, from central to local, as well as the support of the people's community and the community. In the Con Dao district, close coordination between nature conservation organizations, domestic and international scientific agencies, and relevant agencies is essential...

Con Dao National Park has collaborated with Con Dao Resort Co., Ltd. to implement a coordinated plan to restore and preserve sea turtle nesting grounds at Dat Doc, Con Dao district, during the period 2020-2025. Currently, a number of beaches that serve as sea turtle nesting grounds have been developed for tourism purposes, so replicating this model can help restore coastal areas creating habitats for sea turtles to nest.

The collaboration between Con Dao National Park and Con Dao Resort Co., Ltd. to effectively implement a plan to restore and preserve sea turtle nesting grounds at Dat Doc can be viewed as the first model of sea turtle conservation and management involving the participation of tourism enterprises. Vietnam Association of National Parks and Conservation Areas has designated this as the "Socialization in Sea Turtle Conservation and Rescue" initiative.

In addition, Con Dao National Park also actively coordinates with international organizations to carry out a variety of projects related to turtle conservation such as coordinating with the International Organization for Conservation of Nature (WWF-Vietnam implements the project "Reducing marine waste" to protect the marine environment, including sea turtle breeding grounds in Con Dao National Park.

After 5 years of coordination, the average rate of successful egg development is approximately 93.6%; in 2022 alone, more than 18,880 young turtles will be released into the ocean, bringing the rate to 98%. The two parties have successfully developed ecotourism products related to the protection of Con Dao marine turtles. This product has garnered a growing reputation not only in the domestic tourism market but also in the international tourism market, contributing to vivid visual propaganda to assist travelers and the community in raising awareness about sea turtle protection.

In addition, Con Dao National Park coordinates with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Vietnam with a volunteer program to participate in sea turtle conservation in the period 2014 - 2022, with a total of 375 volunteers participating, contributing 3,536 man-days, joining the forestry to carry out the work of monitoring and safely relocating 2,778 egg nests with 352,383 eggs; and releasing 138,988 baby turtles into the sand. To increase community awareness, volunteers produce approximately 20 media products (articles, periodicals, video segments, and blogs) about sea turtle protection each year.