Situated in a fantastic setting, surrounded by sea and jungle, with great wildlife like parrots, crocodiles, lizards and many more animals, you’ll find this amazing project. Here you have the opportunity to contribute, with your help and enthusiasm we can save the Sea Turtles. These wonderful animals’ have a legacy that dates back as far as prehistoric times and together we can help them survive!

Project fee from EUR 1,060 

Your role as a volunteer

The sea turtle conservation program is a scientific based conservation activity in which we try to increase the amount of sea turtle hatchlings to give higher survival possibilities to these beautiful reptiles.

• Participate in nightly beach patrols for the protection of marine turtles
• Assist in cleaning the immediate surrounds of nesting zones
• Identify and account for turtle tracks on the beaches
• Search for turtle nests
• Count numbers of eggs found in each nest and relocate the eggs to a secure egg nursery
• Monitor relocated turtle nests; monitor nest temperatures
• Assist in freeing baby turtles for their initial journey to sea
• Take biometric measurements of turtles
• Assist in a variety of maintenance activities

The tasks described above will vary according to the amount of turtles and the season: when its not turtle season (January-May) the maintenance tasks are very important as well as beach cleaning and information signs. Hatching process which occurs on the season of January to May is a very important work to help out with and volunteers are needed in this moment to.

Projects mission

The Sea Turtle Conservation Project was created with the purpose to protect the female sea turtles, their nests and hatchlings laid in Central Pacific beaches (in a long term) against poachers, natural and introduced predators, using a man-made shelter called “vivero”.

At the same time the project team collects enough information about the nesting activity, so it can be used to improve the next season’s techniques. This information will be shared with the community and its local and regional authorities to create awareness and to promote a change of conscience.

Local Partners

Costa Rica projects are conducted in collaboration with a local NGO that has several years of experience with volunteering. Volunteer travels offer you a well-organized and safe experience as a volunteer. It’s a guaranteed meaningful stay for those who volunteer and for the local population.

How do I book a trip?

You can book your trip with Volunteer Travels by calling us on (+46) 08-23 93 00 or by booking through our website www.volunteertravels.com by clicking on “Book a trip”. You can also email us on [email protected]. When you have registered yourself we will send you an invoice with a registration fee of £200.00. The registration fee is later incorporated into the trip price and the amount is then deducted from your final invoice. When you have paid the registration fee you are formally registered. You will then receive preparatory information from us in good time to plan your trip.

Your everyday life

Introduction

You will be picked up at the airport in San José and you will stay at a Bed & Breakfast in San José the first night. In early morning the day after, you will go by bus to the project that take approximately 5 hours.

Accommodation and food

The project has a big house, bedrooms with bunk beds. There is no electricity but running water and showers available.  In the special place of the house there is a common area with a kitchen.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be supplied by the project. The food is Costa Rican, so you will be eating a lot of rice and beans which is mainly served with some type of meat. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary restrictions let us know. In most of the cases there is a cook in charge of the meal preparation but if not you may have the chance to learn how to prepare Costa Rican food.

Since there are no electricity at this project you will live in an environmental friendly area and you will live close to nature on a beatuiful and secluded beach, away from internet and today´s stressful society. Here you will be going back to basics and enjoy a book, a walk or maybe surfing. Volunteers from different nationalities gathers here and enjoy share their mutual interest for wildlife.

Leisure

In your spare time you will have the chance to enjoy the surrounding areas, the beach is beautiful and you find the place very relaxing. Costa Rica is a great place to surf, if you get tired of the sun and the beach. On Sunday´s , when you have your day off you will have the chance to leave the project area and explore the nearby situated town of Samara which offers a wide selection of restaurants to enjoy. Samara is a hub fo surfers and other tourists whom wish to relax by the sea in a warm and sunny climate.

Explore more

The sea turtle conservation project is located in the northern part of the country, in the district of Nicoya, in Guanacaste province. It is an area of both dry plains and marshland – permanent and seasonal. It is distanced 2.5km from the small town of Samara, 30km from the small city of Nicoya, and just over 200km from the capital city of San Jose. Kilometres of sandy beach is to be found on the project site and the location is famous because of their beautiful sunsets. Behind the project there are mangroves in both directions, there are several kinds of birds, plenty of mammals and reptiles like iguanas, garrobos and crocodiles.

Services like banks and hospitals, restaurants, internet among others can be found in a the town of Samara a couple of kilometres away from this project.

About Costa Rica

‘Central America’s jewel’ is how Costa Rica is usually referred to. With coast lines on both sides of the country it offers endless possibilities for everyone. If you are interested in ecotourism, bird watching adventures or long white tropical beaches, you will find all of that in this small country. Amazingly 6% of the world’s species can be found here and much has been invested to protect all this incredible wildlife and the enormous natural treasure that can be found here.

Costa Rica is usually also referred to as Latin America’s oldest democracy. It is actually stated in its constitution, unusually but firmly, that the country shall never possess any armed forces. Former president Oscar Arias Sánchez was rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution in bringing peace to Central America in the 1980s. Costa Rica is a relatively rich and developed country. Social welfare reaches the Western European standard in many respects. Despite this, it is estimated that every fifth person in Costa Rica still lives in poverty.

Practical Information

Insurance

It is your responsibility to make sure that your insurance covers illness, injury and theft whilst you are volunteering. Most travel agency’s sell a travel insurance that is valid for volunteer work, so be sure to enquire about it when booking your flight tickets. Volunteer Travels does however, supply liability insurance and is included in the price. Liability insurance applies to instances when compensation for damages is demanded of you, as a private person, for unintentionally hurting someone or for unintentionally damaging someone else’s property.

Visas

It is the volunteers responsibility to acquire the right visa for the trip. Different visa rules may apply depending on your nationality. Visit the embassy web page of your destination to find out what the visa terms are between your country and that destination.

Flight

Flight tickets are not included in the tour price. You can book your flight tickets from any travel agency of your choice. You need to arrive in San Jose on Saturday or Sunday before the project starts. Your last day is on Friday, after the number of weeks that you have chosen to work as a volunteer. If you want to go home right after the end of the project, you should book a trip home for the next day, i.e., Saturday, or Sunday. Please note that it will take at least 5 hours of travelling when returning to San José. Also bare in mind that you should have some extra time at the airport before departure of your flight. One extra overnight in San José is recommended for those that has booked a morning flight. Be sure to check the arrival and departure on your tickets.

Note: While leaving Costa Rica, you must pay an airport tax currently at $ 26, not included in the tour price.

Vaccinations

You should contact your nearest vaccination centre for any questions regarding vaccinations. They will advise you on which vaccinations are necessary to have when travelling to Costa Rica. Circumstances can change quickly, but it is always you, who makes the final decision about which vaccinations to get. Vaccinating against Hepatitis A and B is recommended always when travelling abroad.