Con Dao, an archipelago of 16 islands about 80 km off the Mekong Delta coast, has the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in Vietnam. Every year from spring to late autumn, green turtles come ashore on its beaches to lay their eggs, and the national park’s rangers move the nests to safe hatcheries and release the hatchlings to the sea. Visitors can watch both — with a ranger, by booking through the park.
Since 1 July 2025 Con Dao has been a special zone (đặc khu) of Ho Chi Minh City. Before that it was a district of Ba Ria–Vung Tau province, which was merged into Ho Chi Minh City the same day.
The turtles
Two species nest on Con Dao: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), which makes up almost all the nests, and the rarer hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). Both are listed as endangered in Vietnam’s Red Data Book; on the IUCN Red List the green turtle is Endangered and the hawksbill Critically Endangered.
Only the females come ashore. A turtle crawls up the beach at night, digs a pit with her back flippers, lays around 100 eggs the size of ping-pong balls, covers them and goes back to the sea. She may nest several times in a season. The eggs hatch after about 54 days on average, and the temperature of the sand decides whether the hatchlings are male or female — warmer sand gives more females. Very few hatchlings survive to adulthood, and those that do take decades to mature.
Con Dao’s turtles travel far. Turtles tagged in the Philippines (2025), Malaysia (2024) and Indonesia (2018) have come ashore to nest on Bay Canh island, and more than 2,000 mother turtles have been tagged on Con Dao since 2019.
The numbers
| Season | What the park recorded |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 387 mother turtles laid 1,161 nests with 111,986 eggs; on average 76.8% hatched |
| 2025 (to late October) | Nearly 1,800 nests moved to protected hatcheries since April; about 120,000 hatchlings released |
| Since 2019 | Over 13,600 nests protected and nearly 949,000 hatchlings released |
Figures from Con Dao National Park, as reported by Vietnamese media in 2025.
When to go
Turtles nest on Con Dao from April to November, with the peak from June to September. At the height of the season, 30 to 40 mother turtles a night come ashore on the busiest beaches. Hatchlings emerge from roughly late May until December. The nesting season is also Con Dao’s calm-sea season, which makes the boat crossings easier; from October to February the north-east wind makes the sea rough.
Where they nest
Rangers patrol 18 nesting beaches across the archipelago. The two most important are on Hon Bay Canh (Bay Canh island), the large island just east of Con Son, and Hon Tre Lon. Bay Canh is where most of the rescue work happens; in 2024 its ranger station alone moved 849 nests. Turtles also nest on Dat Doc beach on the main island, near the Six Senses resort, where a hawksbill nested for the first time in 2025.
Turtle tours with the national park
You can only watch turtles nest with a ranger, on a tour run by Con Dao National Park. Book at the park’s ticket office at 36 Ton Duc Thang Street in Con Son town, by phone on +84 983 830 669, or through the tours page on its website. Your hotel can also book for you.
- Night nesting tour (CDP 009) — an overnight trip by boat to a nesting island, where you wait with the rangers for a turtle to come ashore and watch her lay. In October 2026 the park listed it at 2,150,000 to 5,100,000 dong per person, depending on the group. Places are limited, so book well ahead for June to September.
- Hatchling release tour (CDP 008) — a half-day trip, usually early in the morning, to release newly hatched turtles to the sea. Some versions add a snorkelling stop.
There is no guarantee you will see a turtle nest. Turtles come ashore late at night, often after midnight, and will turn back if they are disturbed. Bring patience, a light jacket and insect repellent.
The rules
- No flash photography and no bright lights near a nesting turtle.
- Keep your distance and stay quiet. Follow the rangers’ instructions at all times.
- Do not touch the turtles or the eggs, and do not try to “help” hatchlings into the sea.
- Never buy turtle products. Trading in sea turtles, eggs or tortoiseshell is illegal in Vietnam.
Other places to see turtles in Vietnam
Con Dao is by far the most important site, but turtles also nest in a few other places, including Nui Chua National Park (now in Khanh Hoa province), the Cu Lao Cham islands (now part of Da Nang), and in small numbers on Phu Quoc and Tho Chu (An Giang province).
Planning your trip
See our Con Dao travel guide for where to stay and eat, and how to get to Con Dao — the easiest way from Phu Quoc is to fly via Ho Chi Minh City. While you are there, the island has some of Vietnam’s best snorkelling and hiking.
Turtle numbers: Con Dao National Park via Vietnamese media, 2024–2025. Tour prices: national park website, October 2026.
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