According to the Ramsar Convention, the picturesque Con Dao National Park in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been internationally recognised as a new wetland Ramsar site.
The Ramsar site, the sixth of its kind in Viet Nam, is home to 69 species of birds, 28 species of animals, 39 species of reptiles, and 8 species of amphibians.
Surveys conducted by the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography show Con Dao’s marine ecology boasts 1,321 species of fauna and flora, including 37 species listed in the Red Data Book of Viet Nam.
Its marine ecosystemalso includes mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds.The coral reefs at Con Dao are in their pristine condition in Viet Nam, and are distributed in shallow waters around the islands, covering a total area of around 1,000 ha. They support high levels of biodiversity, including over 270 coral species.
The national park is home to approximately 200 ha of seagrass beds, which support a small population of the globally threatened marine mammal including Dugong andblue whales (Neophonphocaenoides).
It also contains a number of nesting beaches for Green Turtle Cheloniamydas and Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelysimbricata, two globally threatened marine turtles. More than 250 females visit a total of 14 nesting sites annually, forming over 1,000 nests. In 1995, Con Dao National Park was listed in a Global Representative System of Marine Protected Areas by the World Bank.
Five other world Ramsar sites of Viet Nam include Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve in Nam Dinh province, the Ba Be Lake in the mountainous province of Bac Kan, Bau Sau in the Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai province, Mui Ca mau National Park in Ca Mau province and Tram Chim(Bird Sanctuary) National Park in the southern province of Dong Thap.