Costa Rica Sea Turtle Conservation

The aim of the project is to help protect and preserve some natural nesting sites that do not hold an official category of protection from the Costa Rican Government.

Four different species of sea turtles frequent the Pacific coast of Costa Rica - Lora (olive ridley), Negra (green turtle), Carey (hawksbill) and Baula (leatherback turtle).

These species are in danger of extinction as a result of various human activities such as infrastructure development, light pollution, transportation of vehicles and the capture of adult turtles.

This means it is increasingly important to help conserve nesting sites, which are crucial to the continued existence of the turtles; by volunteering on this amazing programme you will be able to play your part in securing the future of these fascinating creatures.

During your time as a volunteer on this programme you may undertake various activities such as those listed below. These activities may depend on the project you are located at:

• Helping to construct a turtle hatchery
• Describing the nesting dynamics of the female sea turtles that arrive on the beach, enabling their protection for the next season
• Protecting and closely monitoring the recovered eggs in the hatchery
• Patrolling the beach to look for sea turtles and nests at night, on a rotational basis
• Usually for two or four hours, however during the high season, the patrols could last up to four or five hours
• Marking turtles that are nesting, trying to build a nest or returning to the ocean
  Searching for marked turtles and collecting data
• Collecting the eggs you find on the beach, and taking them to the hatchery ("vivero") for protection
• Gathering information on the whole process by monitoring the hatchery and keeping track of every event
• Releasing "neonatos" (baby sea turtles) from the hatchery, by taking them to the beach and letting them go near the ocean
• Helping with maintenance of the facilities of the project (the shelter), and ensuring the beach is kept clean during the day
• Planting trees in different areas of the beach and town