Duong Hiep Hung, Chairman of the Nhon Chau Commune People’s Committee in Gia Lai, said several baby sea turtles that had hatched on the local beach were released into the sea with assistance from island officials and residents.
More than a month ago, locals spotted traces of a mother turtle crawling onto the sandy beach, presumably to lay eggs. However, the exact location of the nest could not be determined at the time, Hung added.
Residents of Nhon Chau Island Commune witnessed the rare sight of baby sea turtles emerging from the sand (Photo by Duong Hung)
On the evening of August 11, while walking along the beach, locals spotted a newly hatched baby turtle crawling towards the sea. Suspecting a nearby nest had just hatched, they alerted the local authorities.
The Nhon Chau Commune People’s Committee authorities then cooperated with residents to locate the turtle nest after about an hour of searching along the beach.
There, eggshells and tracks showed that some hatchlings had already reached the sea safely, while local authorities assisted the remaining 12 in making their way to the water.
It has been many years since locals last witnessed baby turtles hatching on Nhon Chau Beach (Photo by Duong Hung)
“It has been many years since locals last witnessed baby turtles hatching on Nhon Chau Beach. The commune will designate the area as a nesting ground to aid biodiversity conservation and protect the marine ecosystem,” Hung noted.
Nhon Chau, also known as Cu Lao Xanh, is located about 24 kilometres east of the mainland and spans over 360 hectares, with terrain dominated by hills and beaches.
