Every year as summer approaches, critically endangered green sea turtles begin returning to nest on the beaches throughout the Con Dao archipelago in Vietnam. The waters directly in front of Six Senses Con Dao are a prime habitat and feeding ground for these majestic creatures, and the only place where protection is enforced for the small marine population that resides around islands. The nesting season in Con Dao runs from mid-March until late-October. When a female turtle comes to nest on the private beach of Six Senses Con Dao, our hosts will guide you to the nest site where you can watch from a safe distance as she meticulously lays and covers her eggs.
In collaboration with Con Dao National Park, Six Senses Con Dao also has its own “Let’s Get Cracking” incubation center to relocate and protect eggs laid on the beach in front of the resort villas, as well as nests recovered from around the Con Dao Islands and delivered to the resort for custodianship. Here, our hosts shelter the turtle eggs from threats, both natural and otherwise, including flooding, predators and poachers.
From May through to December, the eggs laid by mother green turtles in Con Dao start to hatch and baby turtles begin emerging from the sand, ready to make a dash towards the waiting waves. With our hosts carefully studying and monitoring incubation conditions throughout the day, every day of the Con Dao turtle nesting season in Vietnam, our “Let’s Get Cracking” incubation center consistently achieves hatching rates of over 90 percent, around twice as high as what occurs naturally. Some days, our turtle clutches even achieve 100 percent hatching success!
Guests at Six Senses Con Dao are encouraged to participate in our ethical baby turtle releases directly on the resort’s beach. In fact, since 2018, our guests, under the careful guidance of our knowledgeable hosts, have assisted with the hatch and release of 19,430 baby turtles. This is a magical experience to reconnect with nature, and guests taking part part often describe the encounter as a life-long memory.