What to do in Con Dao Island

Established in 1993, Côn Đảo National Park is considered the most important turtle breeding ground in Vietnam with around 400 green and olive ridley sea turtles coming to 14 nesting sites of the park to lay eggs every year from May to October. From 1995 to date, the unceasing efforts of the Con Dao National Park Management Board have assisted over 21,000 sea turtle nests, with a hatching rate of over 80 percent. To date, about 1.5 million baby turtles have been released from Con Dao into the sea. Half-day Sea Turtle Hatching Tour is the most popular day tour in Côn Đảo, especially during hatching season. There are beaches where turtles come in large numbers, such as the big sand beaches on Bay Canh Island, Cau Islet and Tre Lon Islet, and only one beach has nighttime access. The tour offers a visit to the turtle sanctuary ground, a wonderful way to become acquainted with these gentle sea creatures. The tourist will be briefed about the risk of turtle death from economic activities – the illegal hunting, turtle eggs sold to restaurants and the hard work of the park rangers and volunteers to keep Côn Đảo as the most favorable home for sea turtles in Vietnam. Additionally, there are a number of adventurous excursions and activities awaited on neighboring islands. Embark on epic treks or experience stunning marine life beneath the sparkling ocean surface. The overnight sea turtle nesting tour at Bay Canh islet is less popular since a limited number of visitors are allowed to stay overnight on the islet. Turtle watchers are advised to avoid making noises such as laughing or talking loudly when they are waiting for the turtles to arrive from the ocean. The ranger will alert you when the sea turtle comes for nesting so don’t worry that you will miss the precious moment. If all this seems too much to choose from, tell us about your interests and your tastes, and we’ll help you craft the perfect adventure to help you unlock the secrets of Côn Đảo.

This is an experience offered only at Six Senses Con Dao resort. 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 turtle nesting season, our “Let’s Get Cracking” incubation center consistently achieves hatching rates of over 90%, around twice as high as what occurs naturally. Some days, our turtle clutches even achieve 100% 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.