A fisherman in central Thua Thien - Hue Province caught a rare green sea turtle on Wednesday.
Also called Chelonia mydas, the turtle species is listed as endangered by the International Union of Conservation for Nature.
Exploitation of the species is prohibited under Vietnamese law. The fisherman found the turtle while fishing near the province's Loc Vinh Commune in coastal Phu Loc District. The turtle's shell spanned 90cm and it weighed 50kg.
The province's Department of Natural Resources Exploitation and Protection is waiting for favourable weather to release the turtle into the sea.
Department staff believed a locating device and markings found on the turtle were placed by a wildlife conservation organization based on Hainan Island in China.