Sea turtles reappear in Nha Trang Bay

On the morning of October 8, Huynh Binh Thai, head of the Nha Trang Bay Management Board, said that a sea turtle appeared in the Hon Mun Sea area, recorded by a camera of the board's conservation specialist on October 4.

According to Thai, this is a positive signal showing that the marine environment in Nha Trang Bay is showing signs of recovery.

"Sea turtles, like koi fish, only appear in places with clean water, creating conditions for reproduction and foraging. It has been many years since sea turtles have reappeared in Nha Trang Bay," said Thai.

According to Thai, sea turtles go through many different habitats in their life cycle, starting from coastal sandy beaches, growing up in coral reefs, and drifting along ocean currents.

Therefore, the probability of sea turtles appearing in the sea is often rare, requiring clean water quality and food sources.

A sea turtle takes 30 - 50 years to reach adulthood, but only one in 1,000 survive to adulthood.

The migration process lasts for months because sea turtles migrate and forage during the day, and at night, they go to the coral reefs to rest.

According to the report of Nha Trang City People's Committee, Nha Trang Bay has a diverse ecosystem that creates a stable living, breeding, and development environment for some species of sea turtles. Therefore, decades ago, sea turtles often came to lay eggs on coastal beaches and islands such as Hon Tre and Hon Mun..., especially in the Dam Tre area (Vinh Nguyen ward), where sea turtles returned to lay eggs every year from April to September.

However, the number of adult sea turtles capable of breeding has decreased significantly due to human hunting; the leveling of coastal works and islands to build tourist areas causes water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, and narrowing of natural breeding grounds... making sea turtles less likely to return to breed.

In Nha Trang Bay, there is only one natural turtle breeding ground in the Bai Bang area of ​​Hon Tre Island. In 2009, at Dam Tre, a mother turtle was discovered coming ashore to lay three clutches of eggs. The authorities protected the clutches until the baby turtles returned to the sea.

In August 2015, through a biodiversity survey in Nha Trang Bay, the authorities discovered an adult sea turtle at Hon Tre; in June 2016, a clutch of eggs was found at Dam Tre beach; most of the people surveyed saw sea turtles appearing in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area. It is a positive sign, showing that zoning and protecting the turtle nesting grounds is essential.

To ensure the protection of marine species in general and sea turtle conservation in particular, the Nha Trang Bay Management Board recommends that competent authorities review and complete legal documents on biodiversity conservation to create a legal basis for the preservation of turtle species on the list of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection; strengthen investigation, assessment and research activities on endangered turtle species.

Also, build models, establish and effectively manage protected areas, support rescue work, breed and conserve endangered turtle species, establish networks, and make information exchange mechanisms on turtle conservation... Suppose the management and conservation of sea turtles in Nha Trang Bay is effectively implemented, creating an environment and habitat for sea turtles to come to the sandy beaches at Bai Bang Lon - Dam Tre to reproduce as before. In that case, it will enrich biodiversity and create high-value tourism products in Nha Trang Bay.

Sea turtle decline due to bay reclamation

According to the survey and assessment report of Nha Trang Bay Management Board, decades ago, sea turtles regularly came to lay eggs on coastal beaches and islands.

However, the number of adult sea turtles has since decreased significantly due to human hunting, the filling of bays from coastal works, on islands... to build tourist areas, polluting water sources, narrowing natural nesting grounds, making sea turtles less likely to return to reproduce.

The Nha Trang Bay Restoration Master Plan to 2030, issued by the Provincial People's Committee in November 2022, has the task of "Supporting the restoration and conservation of sea turtles in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area and neighboring waters". Up to now, the Nha Trang Bay Management Board has proposed to include the Dam Tre - Hon Tre area in the adjustment plan of the General Planning of Nha Trang City as a basis for establishing a turtle nesting site in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area.