Extremely rare albino turtles have been successfully hatched and released back into the sea off Con Dao Island - Photo: Phai - Con Dao National Park
On October 27th, Con Dao National Park (Con Dao Special Zone, Ho Chi Minh City) successfully hatched and released 14 extremely rare albino turtles back into the sea.
Notably, all 14 albino turtles mentioned above belong to a single nest containing 78 sea turtle eggs at Hon Cau (Con Dao).
Unlike common sea turtles, albino turtles have a bright ivory shell with a dewy white border and clear pink eyes.
According to Con Dao National Park, albinism is an extremely rare genetic mutation, affecting only about 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 150,000 sea turtles.
During the conservation process, Con Dao National Park still records 3-4 nests of albino turtles annually.
However, most of them are born with congenital defects such as being blind or having eyes that are only slightly pink.
"This is the first time conservation staff have witnessed an albino turtle with such clear, expressive, reddish-pink eyes – a rare and moving sight," shared the Con Dao National Park Management Board.
A clutch of 78 eggs successfully hatched 56 hatchlings, including 14 rare albino turtles - Photo: Phai - Con Dao National Park
Although most of the newly hatched albino turtles are healthy, their journey to survival is much harsher than that of typical baby sea turtles.
Besides the threat from birds and large fish, they also face human-induced threats such as pollution, unsustainable fishing, and habitat degradation.
On the other hand, with their distinctive white shells, they are easily preyed upon by predators. Therefore, the proportion of albino turtles in adulthood is extremely rare.
Over 120,000 baby sea turtles released back into the wild.
According to Con Dao National Park, rescue forces have relocated thousands of nests, successfully hatched and released more than 120,000 healthy baby turtles back into the sea.
Specifically, to date, nearly 1,800 turtle nests have been safely relocated to incubation lakes by rescue teams. Of these, approximately 1,500 nests have successfully hatched.
Authorities, volunteers, and tourists have released approximately 120,000 healthy baby sea turtles back into their natural environment. The remaining 300 nests are expected to hatch gradually between now and the end of December.
It is expected that in 2025, approximately 600 mother sea turtles will come ashore on the sandy beaches of Con Dao to nest and lay eggs. The successful hatching rate is estimated at around 87%.
The sea turtle breeding season lasts from April to November each year, with the peak from June to October. In Con Dao, the mother turtles that come ashore to lay eggs are mainly green turtles (also known as hawksbill turtles).
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mot-o-78-trung-co-14-con-rua-bach-tang-mat-hong-cuc-hiem-2025102718135098.htm
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