Actively conserve sea turtles.

To conserve sea turtles, the Nui Chua National Park has collaborated with various levels of government, sectors, communities, and domestic and international organizations to implement numerous sea turtle conservation programs; developed plans for patrolling and protecting sea turtles nesting on shore, rescuing and releasing hatchlings back into the sea; and receiving, caring for, treating, domesticating, and releasing sea turtles back into the wild.

Efforts to conserve rare sea turtles

The Nui Chua World Biosphere Reserve (Ninh Hai) is the only place on the mainland and the second area in Vietnam (after Con Dao National Park) to have a population of sea turtles, including green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and olive ridley turtles, that live and feed there. These are all endangered species listed in the Vietnam Red Book and the IUCN Red List. Every year, green turtles come ashore in the waters of Nui Chua National Park to breed, usually concentrating in the following areas: Hom Beach - Suoi Sau - Go Bu (main nesting grounds), Ngang Beach - Thit Beach - Mong Tay Beach; and beaches within and around the marine protected area. Areas where sea turtles come to build nests and lay eggs are strictly protected.

To protect sea turtles from coming ashore to breed, since 2000, the Nui Chua National Park Management Board has established two sea turtle protection stations at Bai Thit - Bai Ngang and Bai Hom with 12 local volunteers; by 2014, the community volunteer team had increased to 22 people operating in 3 groups: the Bai Thit Sea Turtle Conservation and Rescue Volunteer Group, the Thai An Coral Reef and Seagrass Protection Volunteer Group, and the My Hoa Seagrass Protection Volunteer Group. In particular, from 2016 to the present, the Nui Chua National Park Management Board has collaborated with domestic and international organizations to implement a sea turtle conservation program for volunteers nationwide. The goal is to combine sea turtle conservation and rescue work with English language and computer education , integrated with environmental protection and wildlife education. Plans and solutions aimed at effectively and sustainably protecting sea turtle populations and their habitats, along with other endangered and rare aquatic species, are consistently implemented, creating a positive ripple effect.

Officials from Nui Chua National Park and volunteers rescue a sea turtle in distress.

Mr. Tran Van Khang, Deputy Director of Nui Chua National Park, said: "Every year, the unit develops plans for organizing patrols, protecting sea turtles nesting on the beaches, rescuing and releasing hatchlings back into the sea; and plans for receiving, caring for, treating, domesticating, and reintroducing sea turtles into the wild. Besides maintaining strict sea turtle protection zones at nesting beaches in the area; building turtle conservation stations, and establishing volunteer teams to participate in sea turtle protection, we strengthen coordination with organizations and scientific research agencies to focus on improving the knowledge and skills of our staff and volunteers in conserving, rescuing, and treating sea turtles. We also promote awareness campaigns so that local fishermen, when encountering turtles nesting on the beaches or seeing turtles in distress at sea, immediately report to rescue forces; and we are building a network of inland sea areas in Vietnam to receive live turtles, bringing them to the Nui Chua National Park's Marine Biological Conservation Area for rescue, treatment, and training, ensuring they have the conditions to live independently before being released back into the natural environment." As a result, the number of turtles coming here to lay eggs has increased, and the hatching rate of the eggs has been high.

From April to November each year is the breeding season for sea turtles. They usually come ashore and lay their eggs at night. To lay eggs, the mother turtle must go through several steps: finding a suitable, moist beach, digging a nest, laying the eggs, and covering the nest to erase any traces. This process takes 1-2 hours, after which the mother turtle leaves and does not return. If the beach is not moist enough, the mother turtle takes longer to dig the nest, and some may return to the sea and only come back to dig again the next day. During a breeding season, sea turtles usually lay 2-5 nests (depending on the species), each containing 50-200 eggs. The time it takes for the eggs to hatch into hatchlings is 47 to over 50 days, entirely dependent on the ambient temperature.

With nearly 20 years of experience participating in sea turtle conservation volunteer teams, Mr. Nguyen Ty, from the Thai An village sea turtle protection volunteer team in Vinh Hai commune, shared: During the sea turtle nesting season, team members take turns on night duty to observe mother turtles coming ashore. Afterward, they wait for the turtles to lay their eggs and return to the sea, then count each egg and mark the nest. These nests are protected 24/7 to prevent theft until the eggs hatch into baby turtles and return to the sea. In particular, for weak baby turtles unable to surface, rescue team members safely release them back into the sea.

Each year, Nui Chua National Park records 10-15 mother turtles coming ashore to lay eggs, and 1,200-1,800 hatchlings are released back into the sea. The nesting grounds stretch for more than 2km, and with the participation of local volunteers and community volunteers, efforts have been made to track and assist sea turtles in safely coming ashore to lay eggs, increasing the effectiveness of rescue operations and the rate of hatchling release back into the sea.

Spread awareness about sea turtle conservation to the community.

Each year, Nui Chua National Park organizes training courses on techniques and knowledge of sea turtle conservation for volunteers, students, and young people from across the country, with hundreds of participants. Over the years, thousands of volunteers from all over Vietnam have participated in the sea turtle conservation program at Nui Chua National Park. Through effective communication and raising awareness in the community, more and more young people are registering to become sea turtle conservation volunteers, contributing to the process of protecting nature.

As one of the volunteers participating in the 2024 sea turtle conservation program, Le Nguyen Truc Linh (22 years old, from Ho Chi Minh City) excitedly shared: "I had a week experiencing being a 'midwife' for sea turtles at the Nui Chua National Park Sea Turtle Conservation Area."

Here, our group is guided by experienced local volunteers. Our nightly work involves being on duty from 11 PM to 3 AM the following morning at the beaches to find turtle nests, then bringing the eggs back to the collection point and incubating them until they hatch. To become official "midwives," the volunteer group must undergo training sessions to acquire knowledge about different types of sea turtles, rescue work, and the procedures for assisting in turtle hatching. Turtles that come ashore to lay eggs often dig false nests to create a "shield" to protect their eggs. Therefore, our group's first task is to distinguish between real and false nests, then collect the eggs, bring them back to the collection point, dig a nest, and incubate them to increase the hatching rate. After 45 days, the eggs hatch, and the volunteers will assist the hatchlings in returning to the sea.

Meanwhile, Thanh Binh (21 years old, from Ho Chi Minh City) shared: After implementing conservation efforts, the survival rate of baby turtles increased many times over, from 1/3 to 3/4 of the initial number. After a week of experience, I feel that the activities here are very beneficial and hope that more people will learn about it, contributing to the conservation of sea turtles in particular and endangered species in general.

In addition to night patrols, the volunteer group also participates in other conservation activities in Nui Chua National Park, such as assisting local people in collecting garbage on beaches and turtle nesting grounds, cleaning up residential areas, and planting mangrove forests. With the joint efforts of organizations and the community, the sea turtle conservation volunteer program has been effectively promoting practical value, making an important contribution to sea turtle conservation, environmental protection, and maintaining ecological balance in Nui Chua National Park.

Anh Thi

Source: https://baoninhthuan.com.vn/news/152439p1c30/tich-cuc-bao-ton-rua-bien.htm