In April 2021, 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 late at night on April 22. Con Dao National Park rangers discovered the Malaysian tracking tag while assisting the turtle. Despite the blurred symbols on the card it was wearing, they were able to make out that it was from Malaysia.
Con Dao is approximately 550 km from Kuala Terengganu, making it an impressive journey for this mother turtle to travel. According to a Con Dao National Park official, the turtle weighs between 90-100 kg and is around 40 years old. This mother turtle joins six other species of sea turtles that still appear and breed in Con Dao. In fact, Con Dao district serves as the main breeding ground for over 90% of all sea turtles in Vietnam. From 2018-2023, more than 145,000 baby turtles will be hatched here and given tracking tags before being released into the sea.
The green turtle, also known as Chelonia mydas, is one of seven species of sea turtles that still appear and breed in Con Dao. The other seven species include big-headed turtles, flat shell turtles, tortoiseshells, leatherback turtles, pineapple tortoises, Kemp’s ridley turtles and hawksbill tortoises. All seven species are listed in CITES Appendix I and some are also listed in Appendixes I and II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). It’s important that these species continue to thrive so they can continue to contribute to maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.