Green turtles back home to nest as Xisha Islands environment improves

As temperatures rise, the waters around the Xisha Islands in Sansha City, south China's Hainan Province have entered the peak breeding season for green turtles. Last week, island reef staff discovered two new nesting sites on Yongxing Island where green turtles came ashore to lay eggs — the first such findings on the island in recent years.

Green turtle is the first-class protected animal in China. Of the seven extant sea turtle species worldwide, five are found in China's waters. The Xisha Islands are home to the country's largest nesting grounds for green turtles. According to monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the number of green turtles coming ashore to nest on the Xisha Islands has shown an increasing trend in recent years.

As of July 6, a total of 81 sea turtle nests have been recorded in monitored areas of the Xisha waters this year, an increase of 30 compared to the same period last year. The first recorded nesting activities on Yongxing Island and Zhaoshu Island also indicate that the ecological conditions of the Xisha Islands' reefs are improving, with the habitat range for sea turtles gradually expanding.