A mother sea turtle crawled onto the sandy beach of Hon Cau Island (Tuy Phong District) to lay 78 eggs before leaving during the night of August 2nd.
In the early hours of August 2nd, after a night of heavy rain, staff from the Hon Cau Marine Reserve along with volunteer turtle protectors conducted a round of inspections around the island. They discovered turtle tracks leading from the water’s edge to the Tràng Dảo beach area.
Fisherman Huỳnh Văn Mãng, a volunteer turtle protector, collecting the eggs to prepare for transport to the nesting area. (Photo: Hon Cau Marine Reserve).
Following the turtle tracks, they found a sand mound that had been disturbed near the shoreline. Suspecting that the mother turtle had laid eggs, the reserve staff excavated the sand and uncovered a hole approximately 30 cm wide and half a meter deep, containing a nest of white eggs stacked on top of each other.
The reserve staff and volunteers on the island carefully collected the eggs, placing them on the shore before transporting them to the nesting area at the Hon Cau Island patrol station. There, they were placed into a new nesting hole, secured under strict protection while awaiting the hatching of the baby turtles.
“Due to the heavy rain last night on Hon Cau, our team was unable to conduct a usual inspection of the nesting area, so we could not record the shape or size of the mother turtle,” one of the turtle protection team members stated.
78 turtle eggs moved from the nesting hole to the Hon Cau Marine Reserve hatching area. (Photo: Hon Cau Marine Reserve).
According to a representative from the Hon Cau Marine Reserve management board, this is the first turtle nest of the year 2024.
In previous years, the island has recorded numerous sea turtles coming ashore to lay eggs, which are then taken to the hatching area. Staff and a team of volunteers remain on duty to ensure safety. Many nests have successfully hatched, and the baby turtles are released back into the ocean to support biodiversity conservation.
The turtle eggs have been placed into a new nest at the protected hatching area, waiting for them to hatch. (Video: Hon Cau Marine Reserve)
The Hon Cau Marine Reserve (Tuy Phong District) covers 12,500 hectares and is a provincial-level species and habitat reserve tasked with protecting marine resources and biodiversity, serving as a habitat for various species, protecting the environment, promoting economic development and eco-tourism, and managing sustainable use of marine resources.
