‘Tortoise house’ has returned with clouds, waves and waves

Mr. Le Xuan Ai during his research days at Bai Bac sea turtle hatching area (Cu Lao Cham) – Photo: BD

At the end of the afternoon of June 2, many relatives and conservationists across the country looked for a newly built small house in Long Thanh village, Tam Tien commune (Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province) to say goodbye to Mr. Sea Turtle Conservation Specialist Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area Management Board, Hoi An.

At the porch window, Mr. Ai’s relatives glued pictures and pages of newspapers written about him, all of the same size: Mr. Ai wearing a beanie hat, passionately fidgeting with newly hatched turtles. from the eggshell under the sand; Mr. Ai covered himself with protective gear, held an oxygen tube in his mouth and dived to the bottom of the ocean to explore the waters where turtles often find their eggs.

“Mr. Ai died on the morning of June 2, after many years of fighting cancer. Brothers and sisters who work in conservation across the country and around the world formed groups to report and update the ceremony to visit him. We are choosing an idea. Think of something related to sea turtles, maybe a turtle rescued from a fisherman’s net will be named Le Xuan Ai, or maybe his name is remembered in the turtle display area in the marine reserve. “, Mr. Nguyen Van Vu, deputy director of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area Management Board, said sadly.

Mr. Le Xuan Ai (63 years old) is considered a famous “turtleologist” in the conservation world. He is admired by many experts not only for his expertise, humor, and “status” talent, but almost all of his life, he has devoted himself to sea turtle conservation efforts.

He used to work as a director at Con Dao National Park. During that period he was known for his enthusiasm and fierceness in preserving the forest ecosystem, preserving the turtle spawning area and the natural environment on the island.

In 2015, Mr. Ai returned to Hoi An to join the Management Board of Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area at the invitation of Mr. Nguyen Su – former Secretary of Hoi An City Party Committee.

Since returning to Hoi An, Mr. Ai has lived quietly in a suburban motel. Every day, he cycled to the countryside to chat with relatives, the rest of the time he almost wandered on Bai Huong, Bai Chong, Bai Xep, Bai Bac (Cu Lao Cham) to study turtles.

In the past, Cu Lao Cham used to be a hatching ground for sea turtles, but humans have gradually invaded, causing the turtles to leave. When he returned to Cu Lao Cham, Mr. Ai directly and with the staff of the Marine Protected Area Management Board wrote a scientific topic “Recovery and protection of sea turtles in Cu Lao Cham”.

The project aims to create a hatchery, keep a safe environment to recreate the crowded turtles that had existed in the past at Bai Bac – about 4km from the center of Cu Lao Cham. This topic received consensus from both the authorities and the fishermen in Quang Nam.

No one would have thought that one day the fishermen would be the ones to rescue sea turtles, remove the turtles caught in fishing nets and find a way to “create artificial respiration”, bring them back to the marine protected area to rescue and return them. about the sea.

“Mr Ai has great merit in changing the perception of fishermen, transforming them from people who care little about the ecosystem into collaborators for marine conservation and turtle conservation projects,” said Mr. Nguyen The. Hung, Standing Vice Chairman of Hoi An City People’s Committee, said.

Currently the sea turtle restoration project is in the monitoring phase, but a subdivision for turtle hatching has been zoned and strictly protected.

All turtle eggs were placed by Mr. Ai and his engineers in a styrofoam box, held in his arms, and transported many times by plane and bus from Con Dao National Park to Cu Lao Cham from 2017 – 2019. The turtles. The baby hatched from the eggs that Mr. Ai “hugs” about has planted thousands of seeds of life and hopes in the ocean in the future.