The tourist, identified as V.L.N., a resident of Ha Long Ward in Quang Ninh, was moved by a recent article highlighting the story of Pham Van Duc (33), who has spent hundreds of millions of VND planting and propagating coral beneath Co To's waters.

In response, V.L.N. returned the stones previously taken during a trip to the island, mailing them to the island's Department of Culture and Society along with a handwritten letter of apology.

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Beach stones from Co To Island were packed in a styrofoam box and mailed back by the tourist.

The letter reads: “I am a tourist who visited the island several times between 2015 and 2018. Out of curiosity and admiration for its natural beauty, especially the rocky beach, I secretly took a few stones to display at home.

After learning from the media  -  particularly your article about the youth group's passionate effort to restore rare coral species on the island  -  I realized that my past actions had harmed the pristine and delicate beauty of Co To.

Today, I sincerely write to apologize to the people of Co To and to return the stones I took. I hope they can be returned to their original place and help restore the natural charm of this destination.

Once again, I apologize for my actions and for any inconvenience this has caused your office. Thank you for your understanding.”

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The 14kg of stones returned by the tourist will be taken to the Mong Rong Beach area on Co To Island.

On November 14, Nguyen Hai Linh, Head of the Department of Culture and Society of the Co To Special Zone, confirmed receiving a styrofoam box containing 14kg of stones and the letter of apology earlier that morning.

According to Mr. Linh, the tourist reached out after reading VietNamNet's article and expressed the wish to return the stones. The stones will be placed back at Mong Rong Beach on Co To Island.

“Co To is striving to become a green, safe, and sustainable destination. To achieve that, we need more than infrastructure and policy  -  what truly matters is collective awareness and responsibility.

I urge every resident, tourism business, and visitor to join hands in preserving our marine environment: take nothing that belongs to nature and leave nothing that doesn’t belong to Co To.

A small action today contributes to preserving the island’s beauty for future generations. Let Co To remain a green, clean, proud destination,” Mr. Linh said.

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For years, Pham Van Duc and his team have been cultivating staghorn coral beneath the waters of Co To Island.

VietNamNet previously reported in the article “Young team spends hundreds of millions to grow a coral forest beneath Co To’s sea”, that Pham Van Duc and his colleagues have been working for years to revive staghorn coral around Chim Islet in Co To.

In 2023, Duc and his team of experienced divers began surveying and assessing the area, identifying around 43 coral species in local waters.

However, staghorn coral  -  once common  -  was nearly extinct. After extensive searches, they found only one or two tiny clusters about 15cm tall.

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Pham Van Duc has spent years planting coral under the sea around Co To Island.

Since 2023, Duc and his team have spent approximately 200 million VND (around 8,100 USD) annually to restore staghorn coral. They selected Chim Islet as the pilot site, where coral fragments are affixed to steel frames and transplanted at depths of around 10 meters.

The process is done entirely underwater.

Currently, the team has successfully cultivated staghorn coral across approximately 500 square meters of seabed. The coral clusters are thriving and show promising growth.

Pham Cong