A 90kg sea turtle has laid 101 eggs on Hon Cau Island, one of Vietnam’s regular nesting grounds, where conservation teams patrol beaches during breeding season.
A female sea turtle digs a nest for her 101 eggs on Hon Cau Island. Photo: Thi Thi
A rare female sea turtle weighing about 90kg crawled onto a sandy beach on Hon Cau Island in Vietnam’s Lam Dong Province, dug a nest and laid 101 eggs before covering them with sand and returning to the ocean.
The Hon Cau Marine Protected Area, also known as Cu Lao Cau, confirmed on Sept. 12 that the turtle had come ashore to nest before returning to the sea.
During an early-morning patrol that day, staff discovered tracks left by the female turtle, which had dug a deep nest in the sand and laid her eggs.
Before leaving, the turtle carefully covered the nest with sand and made her way back to the sea.
Conservation staff collected all 101 eggs and transferred them to a dedicated hatchery in an effort to improve the survival prospects of the rare animals.
The female sea turtle lays her eggs on Hon Cau Island. Photo: Thi Thi
According to the marine protected area, sea turtle eggs typically hatch after around 45-60 days, depending on temperature.
Once the hatchlings emerge, conservation staff will monitor them and help them make their way safely to the sea.
About a week earlier, another sea turtle successfully laid 65 eggs in the same area. Those eggs were also collected by conservation staff and moved to the hatchery for protection.
Sea turtle eggs are moved to a protected hatchery to improve their chances of survival. Photo: Thi Thi
The Hon Cau Marine Protected Area, located in Lien Huong Commune in Lam Dong Province, covers approximately 12,500 hectares, including the 140-hectare Hon Cau Island.
The area is one of Vietnam’s regular sea turtle nesting grounds, with turtles primarily coming ashore to breed between May and October each year.
During nesting season, staff and volunteers conduct nighttime patrols to protect female turtles and their nests.
Nests considered unsafe are relocated to the protected hatchery. Once the eggs hatch, the young turtles are released into the sea.
Vietnamnet.vn
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