The midwife of hundreds of mother turtles.

An opportunity arose for Binh in 2025, when Con Dao National Park was recruiting contract staff. Without hesitation, Binh applied and packed her bags to head to the island, answering the call of the turtles, and became the first female staff member of Con Dao National Park.

I came here because of love!

That's the sole reason why Ha Bao Binh chose the job of conserving sea turtles – or as she jokingly calls it, "the midwife of mother turtles." Barefoot, covered in sand, busy but with a radiant smile when talking about sea turtles – that's the impression anyone gets when they meet Binh.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 1. — Aquarius and a mother turtle laying eggs.

One bright summer morning, I was fortunate enough to set foot on Bay Canh Island. The sign "Turtle Maternity Hospital" at the entrance immediately impressed me and many other tourists. Bay Canh is the island with the highest number of sea turtles coming ashore to lay eggs in Vietnam – a place with a mangrove ecosystem, coral reefs, and many rare species of flora and fauna.

Unlike their usual work, it is only when night falls on Bay Canh Island that Binh and the conservation officers truly begin their job.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 2. — A close-up view of a mother turtle laying eggs.

"Mother turtles usually come ashore to lay eggs at night, when the tide is high. So my shift isn't fixed; it depends on the tide. On average, there are 10-12 mother turtles coming ashore to lay eggs each night. But there have been record nights with up to 28 mother turtles coming up." Binh's voice was very soft, blending into the tranquil night. On the long sandy beach, there were no lights emanating from anywhere, only the moonlight slanting above the forest trees – just enough light to clearly see the white sand at the water's edge. I cautiously made my way along the sand, trying to walk as quietly as possible, following Binh. Near a clump of wild pineapple plants, Binh gestured for me to lie prone on the sand like her. That's when my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could clearly see a mother turtle laying eggs right before my eyes.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 3. — The sandy beach at Bay Canh Island - Aquarius's favorite workplace.

Binh always uses the word "miracle" when talking about the mother turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs in Bay Canh. Sea turtles are ancient animals that have existed on Earth for over 100 million years. However, climate change, coupled with the destruction and theft of turtle eggs by humans and other animals, has led to a serious decline in the number of sea turtles worldwide . That's why Binh, the staff of Con Dao National Park, and the volunteers need to help.

Watching turtles lay eggs, waiting for them to fill the sand pits, then painstakingly digging deep into the sand to retrieve the eggs and move them to the incubation pond – this has been Binh's familiar job for over half a year now. Each turtle watch shift usually lasts 4-6 hours, sometimes even all night. "I was scared, especially in the first few days when I had to watch the turtles alone on the sandy beach, surrounded by silent darkness. Sometimes even a small sound like the rustling of leaves in the wind or a bird's call would startle me," Binh shared about his early days on the job. But that fear is nothing compared to the joy and meaning the work brings him. "During my time guarding the turtles on the beach, I get to lie on the sand and gaze at the Milky Way in the sky, the moonlight on the water, listen to the wind, and the breathing of the mother turtles. And the feeling of collecting eggs from under the sand is like digging up a treasure, or the moment when I open the bamboo basket and hundreds of baby turtles crawl onto the surface—it's always a fresh and exciting experience."

Bao Binh stated that during the 2025 breeding season, Bay Canh Island successfully rescued and relocated over 1,700 turtle nests. This achievement came at the cost of countless sleepless nights for Binh and his teammates.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 4. — Release baby turtles back into the sea.

There are days when you're covered in sand from head to toe.

On Bay Canh Island, during stormy days, we sometimes go 2-3 days straight without electricity, phone signal, or internet. The damp, rainy weather also creates ideal conditions for gnats – small insects whose bites are very itchy; the more you scratch, the itchier and more venomous it becomes, causing swelling and inflammation. During these days, Binh and his colleagues' work becomes even more difficult: "Sometimes, a thunderstorm comes unexpectedly, and before we have time to bring raincoats, we have to use our jackets to cover the eggs. We get soaked, but the egg baskets always stay dry. It's easier to collect the eggs on sunny, dry days, but when it rains, we're covered in sand from head to toe, even in our mouths."

However, the nearly 1-kilometer-long stretch of sand in front of the station is never without Binh's footsteps every night, regardless of whether it's sunny or rainy. His night shift sometimes ends near dawn, and Binh only manages to snatch a short nap before continuing his work during the day. "In the morning, if there are no mother turtles coming to lay eggs, my job is to welcome groups of visitors who come to experience releasing baby turtles back into the sea, and explain to them the significance of sea turtle conservation," Binh said.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 5. — Relocating turtle eggs to the artificial incubation pond is a strenuous task, especially on rainy days.

Thanks to media coverage, in recent years, more and more domestic and international tourists have become aware of the experience of watching turtles lay eggs and releasing baby turtles back into the sea in Con Dao. All the fatigue from work seems to disappear when Binh enthusiastically explains the process to tourists and guides them in releasing the baby turtles.

Bao Binh said she has been at Bay Canh for 6 months, releasing thousands of baby turtles back into the sea every morning, but she is never ceased to be moved when witnessing the moment the baby turtles eagerly rush into the waves, because the survival rate of baby turtles to adulthood is only 1 in 1000. "But if that baby turtle lives to reproductive age, about 30 years later, it will return to this very sandy beach of Bay Canh to lay its eggs," Binh optimistically shared about an interesting habit of sea turtles. That is also one of the reasons Binh chose this challenging and difficult job, contributing a small part to the conservation of this special animal of the planet.

Continue writing the miracles.

Anyone who follows Binh's social media accounts will see how much passion she dedicates to sea turtles. Binh's job includes days off and even vacation days, but she mostly doesn't want to travel far. Unlike many other young people who prefer bustling places or are glued to their phone screens, Binh only feels truly peaceful in Bay Canh, near baby turtles and mother turtles. In her free time, Binh makes videos and uploads photos telling stories about sea turtles, hoping that each view or share will raise awareness among more people about the importance and significance of conserving sea turtles and nature.

Bà đỡ của hàng trăm mẹ rùa - Ảnh 6. — An albino "baby turtle" from a special ICU unit on Bay Canh Island.

At the end of September, Binh's work contract expired, but driven by a strong urge from her heart, she extended it for another three months to continue pursuing her passion. "People may see me working hard to conserve sea turtles, but deep down, it seems that I and those of us doing this work are also being healed by the mother turtles, the baby turtles, and nature," Binh shared about the peace and abundant love she receives from her work.

At the end of September, Binh happily showcased a special project she and her volunteers had created: the ICU - I See You room - a unique intensive care unit born from the idea of giving more hope and opportunities to young eggs or weak baby turtles, so that no one is left behind. "Many baby turtles have been 'discharged' from this loving ICU room and returned to the sea healthy, brave, and confident," Binh proudly said about this small but meaningful project.

With his love for sea turtles and his unique work, Binh not only contributes to nature conservation but also inspires many young people and tourists to live sustainably. From that seed of hope and love, countless sweet fruits have quietly blossomed, making life greener.