In recent news, a nearly 100 kg green turtle with a Malaysian 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 completed the process late at night on April 22. Con Dao National Park rangers discovered the Malaysian tracking tag while assisting the turtle.
According to a Con Dao National Park official, the turtle weighs 90-100 kg and is about 40 years old. The card it was wearing had the country intact, but other symbols were blurred so it was impossible to read all the information. Six years ago, a mother turtle with an Indonesian tag came to Con Dao to give birth. Last year, the beaches in Con Dao 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. Con Dao district serves as the main breeding ground for 90% of turtles in Vietnam. From 2018 to 2023, more than 145,000 baby turtles will be hatched here, all given tracking tags by Con Dao National Park before being released into the sea.
Con Dao is approximately 550 km from the nearest Malaysian city, Kuala Terengganu. This highlights how far these majestic creatures are willing to travel to lay their eggs in a safe environment where they can thrive and survive until adulthood. It’s important that we continue our efforts to protect these endangered species and preserve their natural habitats so that future generations can witness their magnificent journey through life on earth’s oceans and shores.
