This project goes from the end of June to December, the activities that the volunteers perform are several, turtle nursery building at its early stages, night patrols, data collecting, egg relocation and eventually the releasing of hatchings.
The project consists in patrolling the beaches at night for endangered nesting females and releasing baby turtle hatchlings, into the sea 6 weeks later.
There you have the unique opportunity to combine this professional guided experience with a nature experience as you will be right in Costa Rica’s most exciting eco-system. The Osa Peninsula is famous for its untamed natural beauty, where the rainforest meets the ocean and scarlet macaws above our heads. This is the habitat of jaguars, sea turtles and dolphins. Humpback whales can be seen year round on their migration to the south and to the north.
Furthermore you will work side by side with the easy going Ticos and Ticas and experience local cultures. Participate now in our project located on the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica in a place that is called El Progreso on the Osa Peninsula.
The sea turtle monitoring and conservation season at this site runs from June through December. Participants are invited to stay from 2 weeks to 3 months. You will take part in our research team and all their activities. This includes beach cleaning activities, night watch, searching the beach for turtle eggs (mostly at night), taking scientific data, learning about sea turtle habits and population, taking care of the nesting area, construction activities, environmental education activities and the liberation of hatchlings.
You will stay directly at our Research Station in one of the rustic cabins. The Station is located directly at the beach but has all facilities you need like an outside kitchen, shared bathrooms and a large communal space with hammocks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided in the community kitchen, served at 9:00 am, 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm, respectively.
To participate in our volunteer program please contact us and we will send you the registration form.
We provide a basic insurance, but a medical insurance is recommended before arriving to Costa Rica. The minimum stay is 2 weeks.
The cost of participation goes from US$ 225 up to US$ 375, according to availability of the project. It includes:
- Basic Insurance
- Room and board in our research station.
Volunteers will need to spend at least one or two nights in San José since we recommend them to come to our offices in San Jose and receive a general introduction about the program.
If you need suggestions for lodging we recommend: http://www.hotelcasaalegre.com/ which is located in Santa Ana, San Jose. Santa Ana is very conviniently located close to both the international and the domestic airport.