On August 23, 2011, a green sea turtle was recorded coming ashore to lay eggs at Dongsha Atoll National Park. After more than 50 days of waiting, researchers from the Marine National Park Headquarters (hereinafter referred to as the Headquarters) confirmed through excavation and investigation that the nest had successfully hatched, marking a fulfilling conclusion with baby sea turtles emerging.
Sea turtles are among the world’s endangered protected species. There are seven species of sea turtles worldwide, mostly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In the waters of Dongsha Atoll National Park, two species have been recorded: the green sea turtle and the hawksbill turtle. Since the establishment of Dongsha Atoll National Park in 2007, the Headquarters has worked closely with the Dongsha Command to promote marine resource conservation and to protect the island’s terrestrial environment. On August 23, 2011, the first official record of a green sea turtle nesting on Dongsha Island was documented. Through continued monitoring of the nest by staff at the Dongsha Management Station, signs of hatchling emergence were observed on October 18, confirming that Dongsha Atoll National Park can serve as an important nesting habitat for green sea turtles.
Dongsha Atoll National Park features vast, undisturbed sandy beaches—ideal nesting habitats for sea turtles. Its surrounding waters contain extensive seagrass beds and coral reefs, providing abundant food resources. However, over the past decades, illegal fishing practices by foreign fishing vessels and large-scale poaching of sea turtles significantly reduced nesting sightings on Dongsha Island. Prior to this event, only one nesting record (a hawksbill turtle in 1995) had been documented; other records mainly involved sea turtles accidentally caught in fishing nets and subsequently rescued.
After the park’s establishment in 2007, the Headquarters strengthened cooperation with the Dongsha Command, not only expelling illegal fishing vessels but also enhancing protection of Dongsha Island’s terrestrial environment. At midnight on August 23, 2011, a green sea turtle came ashore at Beach No. 8 on Dongsha Island to lay eggs. As green sea turtles face severe survival threats worldwide and are a major focus of global conservation efforts, this marked the first official nesting record since the park’s establishment. The incubation period for a nest is approximately 50 days, though it may vary depending on sand temperature. The expected hatching date for this nest was October 9, 2011. Monitoring began on October 8 and continued until October 18, when hatchling activity was confirmed. Despite the impact of Typhoon Nesat on September 28, Typhoon Nalgae on October 10, and continuous heavy rains brought by associated southwest monsoonal flows, most of the eggs successfully hatched.
This hatching record represents the first confirmed evidence of successful green sea turtle reproduction within Dongsha Atoll National Park. Since green sea turtles require approximately 20 years to reach maturity—and only about one in a thousand hatchlings survives to adulthood and returns to the same beach to nest—this achievement marks an important first step in Dongsha’s sea turtle conservation efforts and reinforces the significance of ongoing national park protection initiatives.
Sea turtles are among the world’s endangered protected species. There are seven species of sea turtles worldwide, mostly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In the waters of Dongsha Atoll National Park, two species have been recorded: the green sea turtle and the hawksbill turtle. Since the establishment of Dongsha Atoll National Park in 2007, the Headquarters has worked closely with the Dongsha Command to promote marine resource conservation and to protect the island’s terrestrial environment. On August 23, 2011, the first official record of a green sea turtle nesting on Dongsha Island was documented. Through continued monitoring of the nest by staff at the Dongsha Management Station, signs of hatchling emergence were observed on October 18, confirming that Dongsha Atoll National Park can serve as an important nesting habitat for green sea turtles.
Dongsha Atoll National Park features vast, undisturbed sandy beaches—ideal nesting habitats for sea turtles. Its surrounding waters contain extensive seagrass beds and coral reefs, providing abundant food resources. However, over the past decades, illegal fishing practices by foreign fishing vessels and large-scale poaching of sea turtles significantly reduced nesting sightings on Dongsha Island. Prior to this event, only one nesting record (a hawksbill turtle in 1995) had been documented; other records mainly involved sea turtles accidentally caught in fishing nets and subsequently rescued.
After the park’s establishment in 2007, the Headquarters strengthened cooperation with the Dongsha Command, not only expelling illegal fishing vessels but also enhancing protection of Dongsha Island’s terrestrial environment. At midnight on August 23, 2011, a green sea turtle came ashore at Beach No. 8 on Dongsha Island to lay eggs. As green sea turtles face severe survival threats worldwide and are a major focus of global conservation efforts, this marked the first official nesting record since the park’s establishment. The incubation period for a nest is approximately 50 days, though it may vary depending on sand temperature. The expected hatching date for this nest was October 9, 2011. Monitoring began on October 8 and continued until October 18, when hatchling activity was confirmed. Despite the impact of Typhoon Nesat on September 28, Typhoon Nalgae on October 10, and continuous heavy rains brought by associated southwest monsoonal flows, most of the eggs successfully hatched.
This hatching record represents the first confirmed evidence of successful green sea turtle reproduction within Dongsha Atoll National Park. Since green sea turtles require approximately 20 years to reach maturity—and only about one in a thousand hatchlings survives to adulthood and returns to the same beach to nest—this achievement marks an important first step in Dongsha’s sea turtle conservation efforts and reinforces the significance of ongoing national park protection initiatives.
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| Figure 1. Nest marker stake for sea turtle nesting site. | Figure 2. On October 13, the marker stake was lost due to beach changes caused by typhoons. |
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| Figure 3. Using GPS positioning and a shovel to remove upper sand layers. | Figure 4. Manual excavation to search for turtle eggs. |
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| Figure 5. Excavation reached a depth of 70 cm with no remaining eggs found. | Figure 6. Professor Cheng Yi-jun of National Taiwan Ocean University confirmed that hatchlings had emerged. |