Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Deputy Director of Hon Cau Marine Protected Area Management Board, stated that in the early morning of 12/9, staff patrolling around the island discovered a mother turtle crawling onto Ba Hon beach to find a nesting site.

The animal, weighing over 90 kg, dug a nest about half a meter deep in the sand before laying its eggs. Afterward, the mother turtle used its hind flippers to cover the nest completely with sand before crawling back into the ocean.

Mother hawksbill sea turtle digging a nesting hole on Hon Cau, early morning 12/9. Photo: Thanh Phuc

After the mother turtle left the beach, conservation staff excavated the nest for inspection, recording 101 white eggs. All were relocated to a hatchery area near the control station, placed in sand nests mimicking natural conditions, and protected by fencing.

According to the Management Board, hawksbill sea turtle eggs typically hatch after about 45-60 days, depending on temperature. When the hatchlings emerge from the nest, conservation teams will monitor and assist their return to the sea.

Sea turtle eggs newly discovered at Hon Cau. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Hon Cau Marine Protected Area, located in Lien Huong commune, spans approximately 12,500 ha, with Hon Cau island itself covering 140 ha. It is a frequent nesting ground for sea turtles, primarily from May to October each year.

Monitoring of sea turtle breeding has been conducted for many years at Hon Cau. In 2013, the protected area recorded its first hawksbill sea turtle nest with 154 eggs. In 2017, 15 individuals came to the island, laying a total of 1,389 eggs; in 2024, 6 instances of turtles coming ashore to nest were recorded.

By Viet Quoc