Con Dao Islands: Haven for Sea Animals

Con Dao Islands: Haven for Sea Animals

Con Dao Islands is home to untouched waters and nature in general. That is perhaps why many sea animals find refuge in this place, sea turtles in particular.

Sea turtles are among the many endangered species today because of their 1/ 1,000 or even 1/ 10,000 chance of survival. But it is this exactly this delicate situation which urged the national park in the island to preserve these amazing creatures.

The breeding season for sea turtles is between April to November. Around this time, many tourists visit the island to see the beauty of Con Dao, but primarily to experience the unique opportunity to witness the birth of new sea turtles. Con Dao National Park is located at Bay Canh Island and can be reached by boat, wherein guests are greeted by the head of forest management Le Hong Doan. The whole area is also guarded by forest wardens to ensure the protection of the animals and the natural environment of the island in general.

Con Dao National Park is so pure that the mangrove forests surrounding the place are thick and lush. Insects can be clearly heard chirping nearby. There is no electricity. One has to use a torch or flashlight in order to see through the dark at night. The place is almost inaccessible, but people keep on coming because of its sheer beauty.

Unlike tortoises which can protect themselves by pulling back their heads into their shell, sea turtles can only try to swim as fast as they can to escape from their enemies. They are also scared of light and noise, so it is only at night and during a high tide that they start looking for a place to lay their eggs wherein a mother turtles creates a deep hole and then uses her two hind legs to cover it with the sand.

A mother sea turtle lays about 100 eggs at a time which take 45 – 60 days to hatch. Each egg is around the size of a pingpong ball. Only 80% – 85% of these are hatchable, that is why a direct interference is needed in order to ensure their survival. The wardens check the size and overall condition of the mother sea turtle before it goes back to the sea after giving birth. They then check the quality of the eggs and move them into a higher position to prevent sea water from destroying them. This process is also important in determining the gender of the baby turtles, balancing the male and female ratio.

Another activity guests can enjoy at Con Dao Island is scuba diving. Aside from sea turtles, the place is also known for blue land crab, a rare species in Vietnam. It can weigh as much as 1 kg. Like the sea turtles, they are also afraid of humans, quickly retreating to their hiding places at the sound of humans approaching. They are also endangered and need to be saved before they totally disappear.

Visitors to Con Dao Island are given the chance to release the baby turtles into the sea. But beyond this “adventure” is the hope of instilling in them the importance of nature and preserving it.