Spring Day Meeting the “Soul Keeper” of Vietnamese Sea Snakes

Graduated with a major in aquaculture from Nha Trang University of Fisheries (now Nha Trang University) in 1998, Master Cao Van Nguyen had a chance to join the Institute of Oceanography and began his journey to explore the diverse world of marine life.

Initially, he focused on marine vertebrates, especially sea snakes and sea turtles. Since 2001, he has been involved in research on sea snakes, a field that remains shrouded in mystery, in collaboration with international organizations such as Denmark, the United States and Australia.

Master Cao Van Nguyen examines sea snake specimens.

The Oceanographic Museum is currently preserving 26 specimens of rare sea snakes; these are priceless specimens, dating back to the French colonial period. He and his colleagues have worked hard to research and preserve them, making an important contribution to preserving rare genetic resources.

Master Cao Van Nguyen shared: “Our goal is to create a standard specimen repository for scientists, students and those who love to learn about sea snakes. Through research, identification and classification of sea snake species, we hope to contribute to raising public awareness of the importance of conserving marine biodiversity.”

Master Cao Van Nguyen introduces sea snakes to foreign tourists.

Master Cao Van Nguyen said that Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest diversity of sea snakes in the world, with 26 species recorded (62 species recorded in the world). Among them, there are extremely rare species such as the yellow-lipped banded krait, the only sea snake that lays eggs, or the hooked-nosed snake, the only venomous snake whose serum can be used to treat other species.

To preserve the sea snake specimens, he and his colleagues used many advanced scientific methods, including the formalin injection technique. “This is a technique that requires meticulousness and caution. We have to strictly follow labor protection regulations to ensure safety for ourselves and the environment,” he said.

Not only stopping at conservation, Master Cao Van Nguyen also actively participates in research on the biological characteristics, the role of sea snakes in the ecosystem, as well as the impact of climate change on their distribution and reproduction.

Sea snake specimens are kept at the Museum of Oceanography.

Master Cao Van Nguyen is the lead author of an article published in the prestigious world journal “Conservation Biology” in 2014 with the title Sea Snake Harvest in the Gulf of Thailand, calling on the world community to join hands to protect sea snake resources, facing the risk of depletion of sea snake resources.

He is also the main author of the book Vietnamese sea snakes and co-author of 3 articles published in the world's prestigious English-language journal system in 2019, 2023, 2024. The content of the articles talks about the evolution of snakes in adapting to life in the sea, such as the blood vessel system in the head of the sea snake has changed and increased 10 times compared to the cobra on land, this helps the sea snake to get oxygen directly in the water through this blood vessel network, accounting for 32% of the oxygen supplied for life activities.

With his dedication and contributions to the research and preservation of sea snakes, Master Cao Van Nguyen is affectionately called by his colleagues as the "soul keeper" of sea snakes.