World’s Most Beautiful “Sea Turtle Island” in Taiwan: 13 Turtles per Square Kilometer

Reported and photographed by You t-Ru / Little Liuqiu

As July arrives and sea turtle nesting season begins, Little Liuqiu, known as the most beautiful “Island of Sea Turtles,” also welcomes this annual event. Li Xu, a researcher at the Marine Ecology and Conservation Laboratory of National Taiwan Ocean University (also known as the Sea Turtle Lab), pointed out,although Little Liuqiu spans just 12 square kilometers, it is home to 163 sea turtles. On average, there are more than 13 turtles per square kilometer, making it the island with the highest sea turtle density in the world.

It is early summer. The reporter and Sea Turtle Lab researcher Li Xu visited the Denggao Viewpoint’s Wanghai Pavilion on Little Liuqiu to scan the sea for turtles. Before them lay the azure ocean. “There!” Li Xu pointed, as a sea turtle surfaced for air. As their eyes adjusted to the marine hues, six more turtles emerged one after another. Such high visibility of sea turtles is a phenomenon unique to Little Liuqiu.


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Elders of Little Liuqiu: Is this the same turtle I saw as a child?
The older generation of Little Liuqiu holds a special affection for sea turtles. Many locals who once fished using bamboo rafts have witnessed turtles coming ashore to nest or baby turtles struggling toward the sea. After 20 to 30 years of maturing at sea, the turtles make their way back to their birthplace to lay eggs.

Locals sometimes wonder upon seeing a turtle, “Is this the same one I saw as a child?” Li Xu said, “It’s entirely possible. Once sea turtles leave their birthplace, they will definitely return.”

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What conditions are suitable for sea turtle nesting?
What kind of place is best suited for sea turtle nesting? Li Xu explained that there are three key conditions. First isbeach size being moderate, with sand grain size just right—too fine sand is impermeable and can suffocate the eggs, while too coarse sand doesn’t retain heat. Additionally,the area where sand meets grass is also suitablebecause it offers consistent moisture and the plants provide good anchorage. Also,thesand layer needs to be deep enough, as sea turtles need over 70 centimeters to dig their nests. Some beaches on Little Liuqiu meet these criteria perfectly.

After laying eggs, sea turtles rest near the shore and return to land about 14 days later when the eggs have matured again. Each nesting season includes around 3 to 4 egg-laying events, with about 100 eggs each time. Once sexually mature, they can come ashore to nest every year. Older turtles tend to lay more eggs, and the hatchlings are in better condition. Currently, Little Liuqiu, with its favorable surroundings, has a hatching success rate of over 90%. That means during a single summer vacation, up to a thousand baby turtles may hatch and make their way to the sea on Little Liuqiu.


▲ The area where sand meets grass is suitable for turtle nesting.


▲ Beaches of moderate size with well-sized gravel are also ideal—each turtle egg is about the size of a ping-pong ball.


▲ The sand must be at least 70 centimeters deep for turtles to dig their nests.

Only 1 in 1,000 baby turtles survives after hatching
After hatching, baby turtles rely on three cues to find their way to the sea. First, lower slopes indicate proximity to the ocean. Second, light—without artificial lighting, the sea reflects moonlight and appears the brightest. Third, upon entering the water, swimming perpendicular to the waves helps, as heading toward the top of the waves leads closer to the open sea. Li Xu noted,only one in a thousand baby turtles survives. The title of “Island of Sea Turtles” is hard-earned, as survival is incredibly challenging under human-induced environmental pressures.


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Arriving at Little Liuqiu, you can have an up-close encounter with sea turtles just by snorkeling.
Travelers visiting Little Liuqiu can experience the thrill of close encounters with sea turtles through simple snorkeling. A reporter joined Coral Sea Snorkeling instructor Li Zhongzhen for a dive at one of Little Liuqiu’s snorkeling spots. Just days after heavy rain, the waters were murky, yet within 30 minutes, they spotted two sea turtles. One of them, nicknamed “Xiao Guai” (meaning “Little Good”) by the Sea Turtle Lab based on its personality and habitat, was calmly feeding on seaweed on the seabed. The close encounter was truly thrilling.


▲ “Xiao Guai” calmly feeding on seaweed on the seabed, making the close encounter truly exciting.

Li Zhongzhen said that visitors to Little Liuqiu have a very high chance of seeing sea turtles, but there are important things to keep in mind.Swimmers must not apply sunscreen, as it can pollute the marine ecosystem. In addition, it’s crucial not to step on coral or touch sea turtles and other marine life with your hands,as this may scare them and cause them to leave their habitats.After all, only one in a thousand sea turtles survives to adulthood. As the island with the highest density of sea turtles in the world, how can people in Taiwan not strive to treat them well?


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Little Liuqiu Coral Sea Snorkeling
Phone: 0933844400 (Reservation required by phone)
Price: NT$300 per person, approximately 1.5 hours in duration