We collaborate with Costa Rican turtle conservation organizations with years of experience with volunteers and sea turtle conservation. They are in urgent need for more help! They receive thousands of sea turtles each year – but they have few volunteers to help cope with the amount of eggs and turtles. Throughout the project you’ll learn everything about sea turtle conservation and methods to preserve them – and at the same time you’ll live on a beautiful remote beach in Costa Rica.

Mainly four sea turtle species arrive at the beaches of Costa Rica:  Leather Back Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), Green-turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Olive-Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).

• Patrol beach daily
• Move nests to hatchery and prepare the nests
• Mark turtles that are nesting and that are trying to build a nest or are returning to the ocean
• Search for marked turtles and gather data regarding the percentage of turtles that return to the beach during “arribada”
• Count all turtles that arrive at the beach
• Help the most amount of baby turtles to get safely into the ocean
• Help build a watering system to help the hatchlings develop during the dry months
• Help patrol the beach to protect nests from illegal extraction and predators
• Taking the sand’s temperature in specific sections of the beach in the morning, at noon and at sunset
• Gather information regarding egg development (or lack of) in all the nests and the and check for the presence of organisms inside them
• Help extract and pack the eggs that are sold legally (only 1% of all the eggs laid are allowed to be sold).
• Translate documents for the office

Examples of other activities you may participate in:

• Clean the beach of tree trunks and other debris that has been washed on the beach
• Clean the beach of all unwanted vegetation that takes over the nesting areas reducing the space available for turtles to nest
• Plant trees in different areas of the beach and the town
• Help with infrastructure activities like building schools, bridges, roads and other similar community activities

 

An ideal volunteer on this project has a passion for animal conservation and biology, enjoys physical labor and loves being outdoors! You should be 18 years of age or older to participate. You don’t have to speak Spanish for this project, as project staff and other volunteers speak English.

We have various turtle conservation project locations on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, and a couple on the Caribbean Coast.

Depending on the season we’ll place you where help is most needed at the time.

The Caribbean turtle high-season is usually from around February until late July, and the Pacific Coast season is generally from June until February.

Our locations on the Pacific Coast include Refugio Camaronal near Tamarindo, and Ostional near Nosara. 

The Caribbean location is Paraiso Pacuare, near Tortuguero National Park. 

Read more on the Nicoya Peninsula (Pacific side) project locations here.

Read more about the Caribbean side project locations here.

 

 

The turtle projects offer shared mixed-gender dormitory rooms with bunk beds. You’ll share the accommodation with your fellow volunteers.

 Typical Costa Rican meal with Coffee

Food is Costa Rican typical food cooked for you and prepared by a chef. You’ll all eat together in a common space at certain hours. Breakfast is usually around 8am, lunch is around 12pm, and dinner is around 6 -7pm.

Below please find some photos of the shared mixed-gender dormitory type accommodations the different turtle project locations we send our volunteers to.

Note that most dormitories hold anywhere from 6-10 people per room.

The beds are generally basic bunk-beds. Also please be aware that housing are usually simple cabinas, and not all are completely sealed off. They’re located on the beaches of Costa Rica – there are crabs, bugs and little critters that may also be inside your housing.

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  Dormitory Ostional

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  Dormitory in Ostional

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  Camaronal Dormitory

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  Camaronal Dormitory Baula

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  Dormitory at Camaronal

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  Dormitory at Nombre del Jesus

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  Dormitory at Nombre del Jesus

The costs for this project are:

• First week’s fee: $ 625.00
• 2 weeks fee: $925.00
• 3 weeks fee: $1,225.00
• 4 weeks fee: $1,525.00
• For placements longer than four weeks, please contact us directly for additional information and a customized price quotation.

What Is Included in Your Volunteer Fee?

Your first week’s fee includes an organizational fee, which helps cover the essential behind-the-scenes costs of running our volunteer programs. These expenses include staff salaries, office rental, administrative expenses, and transaction and banking fees.

Your volunteer fee also covers:

• Accommodation: Your stay at the project site in a shared bunk bed room.

• Meals: 3 meals daily usually prepared for you. You may sometimes need to prepare your own meals. 

• Project Support: A contribution towards the daily operating costs of the program you will be supporting. This helps ensure that your participation directly contributes to the continuation of our projects and local initiatives.

What Is NOT Included in Your Volunteer Fee?

Please budget separately for the following expenses:

• First and last night in San José: Accommodation in a hostel before and after your project stay.

• Airport transfers: Transportation between the international airport and your San José accommodation. Airport shuttles cost approximately $35 each way. We are happy to help arrange this for you upon request during the sign-up process.

• Public transportation to the project site: Bus travel between San José and the project location costs approximately $20 each way.

• Flights: International and domestic airfare.

• Travel insurance: Comprehensive travel insurance for the duration of your stay.

• Visa expenses: Any applicable visa or entry-related costs.

• Additional food and snacks: Any food, beverages, or snacks beyond the three daily meals provided.

• Extra-curricular activities: Optional excursions, tours, and recreational activities outside your volunteer project.