Located in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and only 1 hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao is now known more as a weekend destination, a place to relax and explore nature all year round. From April to November, sea turtles breed and hatch eggs.
Every year, hundreds of sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs in Con Dao National Park, with Hon Bay Canh accounting for about 80% of the number of sea turtles laying eggs in Con Dao. Therefore, releasing baby turtles into the sea at Hon Bay Canh is a unique experience that visitors should not miss.
Experience releasing baby turtles back to the sea
We arrived in the island district in mid-October, the weather in Con Dao was warm and sunny and there were no more sudden rains. To be able to see turtles and release baby turtles back to the sea, we booked a tour early in the morning, and had to be at the pier at 6am to catch a canoe to Hon Bay Canh. The autumn sea in Con Dao is calm, the canoe only glided for about 15-20 minutes to get there. On the island, everyone was led to the sea turtle conservation area of Hon Bay Canh ranger station. The tour guide and rangers began to introduce in detail about the life, conservation work, life cycle of sea turtles and regulations for tourists.
Sea turtles are very sensitive to sound and white light, so activities to protect turtles from laying eggs, collecting eggs and hatching eggs are all done in the dark. During this time, only rangers and volunteers mainly participate. When the eggs hatch into baby turtles, the activity of releasing the baby turtles back into the sea will take place around 7:00 - 7:30 am.
The rangers instructed the tourists, who were eager to see baby sea turtles for the first time, to release them early in the morning to avoid the harsh sunlight, high tides and waves. Each group was given instructions and a certain number of baby turtles. Everyone moved to the shore, near the water's edge in a calm area, then sat down and tilted the baskets so the baby turtles could crawl out, step by step towards the sea. They took slow steps, a little unsteady when they first touched the sea water and were pushed back by the waves. However, the baby turtles did not hesitate, but boldly walked forward and swam out to the open sea.
After releasing the baby turtles back to the sea, we explored the trails along the mangrove forest in Hon Bay Canh. This is a primeval mangrove forest that was formed and developed on a sand bed mixed with dead coral, very unique and rare in Vietnam. The journey was not long, but walking under the green canopy of the forest was a treasure trove of knowledge about the mangrove ecosystem of Con Dao. We walked and stared with wide eyes at all kinds of forest trees, such as mangrove, dung, vat tru, vat du, da voi, suoi, bang phi...
Discover Con Son
Con Son, also known as Con Lon, is the largest island in the Con Dao archipelago with an area of over 51.5 square kilometers. Different from the hustle and bustle of other tourist islands, this place leaves visitors with a sense of wildness and sincerity from the scenery, people to the indigenous culture.
Not having much time to roam around, we stayed in Con Son to visit this place instead of going to the neighboring small islands. The islanders are friendly, approachable, and always smile to welcome visitors from afar. Renting motorbikes to travel around the island, we stopped wherever we wanted, without worrying about petty theft, just worrying about where to play and what to eat. Seafood lovers coming to Con Son will also be satisfied because the markets are scattered from the coastal areas to the town center.
Con Son is also considered a “resort island” with truly high-class experiences at luxury resorts. However, if you want to save money on your trip to Con Dao, you can still find cheap hotels, homestays or experience camping by the sea.
The largest island of Con Dao archipelago has many unique discovery routes such as: Ma Thien Lanh Bridge - Ong Dung Beach, An Hai Lake - Thanh Gia Mountain, Chim Cape - Cau Temple - Dam Trau Beach, Chim Cape - Dam Tre Bay, Shark Cape - Nhat Beach - Ben Dam Bay... But if you are here for the first time, don't miss the experience of swimming at Dam Trau Beach, watching the sunset at Nhat Beach and walking in the forest at Dam Tre Bay.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, Con Dao is not too prominent. But those who have come to this remote island district, carrying in them the love for nature and sincerity, will forever remember it.
