Miracle Of Nature: Blanche – The Baby White Sea Turtle
Hatches at Six Senses Con Dao
CON DAO, Vietnam – October 20, 2023
In a remarkable turn of events, guests and hosts of Six Senses Con Dao on Friday witnessed a wondrous marine spectacle with the hatching of a very special arrival of an exceptionally rare white sea turtle at the resort’s in-house incubation center “Let’s Get Cracking” on the pristine beach of Six Senses Con Dao – where the natural environment is painstakingly preserved and respected.
Blanche is a Chelonia Mydas turtle, also known as green sea turtle, that was born with leucism, a genetic condition that leaves minimal melanin pigment in Blanche’s skin and shell (the pigment that determines the color of skin, hair and eyes in people and animals). While there are no exact figures for the rate of leucism in sea turtles, it is acknowledged that leucistic hatchlings are extremely rare, with some marine biologists estimating the rate to be one in many hundreds of thousands of sea turtle eggs that are laid.
Even at the best of times, sea turtle hatchlings face a multitude of challenges – once hatched, baby sea turtles must race across the beach to the ocean, avoiding crabs and birds, before continuing to outswim a myriad of fish and marine wildlife predators that consider baby turtles as dinner. Not to mention, one of the greatest risks for the global sea turtle population worldwide today is unfortunately the human threat, stemming from poaching, pollution, fishing activities as well as destruction of natural turtle habitats.
Blanche not only has to contend with this mountain of challenges, but also the difficulties arising from Blanche’s natural camouflage being removed by leucism, leaving Blanche white and extra visible to predators (particularly underwater). Leucistic hatchlings also generally suffer from various malformations, which in Blanche’s case includes limited sight.
As always, guests at Six Senses Con Dao can learn further about the unique characteristics of our turtle hatchlings (including Blanche) and the broader ecosystem they inhabit through guided tours of our incubation center and educational workshops.
A rare and stunning sea turtle, our hope is that Blanche will beat the odds to return to sea, and to live a long and happy life!
Situated along 2km of golden sand, looking out to the sapphire sea and the curve of the bay, Six Senses Con Dao is contemporary in design and embraces the essence of a traditional fishing village. 50 villas and residences offer generous personal space, lush tropical vegetation, and spectacular ocean vistas plus their own private rim-flow swimming pools. There are choices of one, three and four-bedroom configurations with a with a host of activities on hand, from water sports, boat tours to hiking, discovering nature and on occasion experiencing turtle hatchlings. Six Senses Spa Con Dao offers a wide range of holistic wellness, Yogic programs and locally-inspired beauty treatments together with an extensive menu of signature therapies to enhance every guest’s experience.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas manages 19 hotels and resorts and 27 spas in 19 countries under the brand names Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spas, and has signed a further 34 properties into the development pipeline. Six Senses is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family however Six Senses Con Dao is not part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio.
Six Senses Hotels and Resorts: a leadership commitment to community, sustainability, emotional hospitality, wellness and design, infused with a touch of quirkiness. Whether an exquisite island resort, mountain retreat or urban hotel, the vision remains the same: to reawaken people’s senses so they feel the purpose behind their travels and ultimately reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them.
Six Senses Spas: a wide range of holistic wellness, rejuvenation and beauty treatments administered under the guidance of expert therapists in all resorts as well as at 8 additional standalone spas. The high-tech and high-touch approach guides guests on their personal path to well-being, taking them as deep as they want to go.
Six Senses Residences: indulgent living as nature intended, providing all the unique amenities of a resort life community, while retaining the intimacy and personal touches of a beautifully-appointed private villa or apartment. Each is an appreciating long-term investment to be cherished for generations to come with immediate benefits including fine dining, pioneering wellness programming and exclusive status at other resorts worldwide.
Evason: a strong value focus with a vast array of personal guest experiences that the whole family will love, while sharing the Six Senses philosophy of uncompromised social and environmental responsibility.
Figures as of September 30, 2021
