On April 22, a nearly 100 kg green turtle with a Malaysian tracking tag arrived at Bay Canh island in Con Dao to lay 108 eggs. The turtle crawled onto the sandy beach of Bay Canh island, dug a nest to lay eggs, and was discovered by Con Dao National Park rangers. The turtle weighs between 90-100 kg and is approximately 40 years old.
Con Dao is located approximately 550 km from the nearest Malaysian city, Kuala Terengganu. This makes it an important breeding ground for sea turtles in Vietnam. In recent years, the beaches of Con Dao have welcomed over 2,700 mother turtles to lay eggs. The green turtle, also known as Chelonia mydas, is one of the seven species of sea turtles that still appear and breed in Con Dao.
From 2018 to 2023, more than 145,000 baby turtles will be hatched on this island, all given tracking tags by Con Dao National Park before being released into the sea. Among the seven recorded species of sea turtles are green turtles, big-headed turtles, flat shell turtles, tortoiseshells, leatherback turtles, pineapple tortoises, and Kemp’s ridley turtles. All seven species are listed in CITES Appendix I and II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which helps protect these endangered species from extinction.