Costa Rica4/5 (2 reviews)
Sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica
Patrol 8 km of nesting beach on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, in the morning or at night to protect sea turtle nests and release hatchlings.
- Where
- Costa Rica
- Length
- From 2 to 8 weeks
- Minimum age
- 18 years old
- Language
- English intermediate
from €1,480 for 2 weeks
Check availabilityTalk to the teamNo commitment. Anaëlle, Amélie or Maëlia will reply.
The project
General information
This conservation project aims to preserve the beach environment where sea turtles come to lay their eggs in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. The project covers 8 km of beach and records over 7,000 nests per season.
Your commitment as a volunteer will have a real impact on the turtles and the local community members. The project team is always open to new ideas and values learning new skills from volunteers.
A project we follow
Projects chosen with care and followed through regular visits on site.
Your role
As a volunteer, you will take part in daily turtle patrols, either in the morning (3 to 5 hours) or at night (4 to 7 hours).
During the patrols, your role will be to:
- Protect new nests
- Record data on nesting females
- Assist in flipper tagging
- Empty hatched nests
- Release hatchlings!
During the day, participants will contribute to:
- Beach clean-ups
- Sorting plastics
- Teaching English to local residents
- Giving presentations in local schools
- Tree planting projects and other maintenance work around the camp!
The team generally works very hard on the project and expects all volunteers to get involved as much as possible to help achieve the goals. Due to the nature of environmental and community work, project schedules are flexible.
In case of changes to the programme, the on-site coordinator will inform volunteers as soon as possible.
The workload will vary depending on the number of people at the camp; the team may need a little more help from volunteers than usual. Each volunteer will have at least one full day of rest.
Accommodation and meals
The camp consists of two mixed dormitory-style cabins, each accommodating 8 to 10 volunteers, as well as cabins for staff. It also has a communal kitchen and a relaxation area. Electricity and WiFi are available on site. Meals are included during your stay and are mainly vegetarian.
The trees above the buildings are often used as passageways for monkeys or perches for birds, and the river that borders the property abounds in small mammals and amphibians.
Free time and activities
In your free time, you can enjoy a wide variety of activities: explore Corcovado National Park, surf at Matapalo, go horse-riding or take a guided tour of the gold mines. You can also admire the waterfalls and go on whale and dolphin watching excursions. Although the beach near the camp is not for swimming, it offers superb scenery for beach games and observation of the local wildlife.
Additional information
Your arrival is scheduled for Saturday in San José (SJO), Costa Rica. Please note that the overnight stay in San José is not included in the project and is paid for by the volunteers.
On Sunday, you will leave San José by public bus at 12 pm for Puerto Jimenez (about 6 to 7 hours of travel, with only one bus per day, so we advise you to be at the station by 11:30 am). This journey costs 30 USD and is paid directly on site.
Please note, there is only one bus per day!
You will then spend the night in a youth hostel (included).
On Monday morning, a group departure is organised at 6 am to join the project (you must make your own way from the hostel to the bus stop). This journey of about 2 hours is not included in the programme.
Budget
How long are you going for?
This programme is available from January to April and from July to December. Arrivals on Saturdays.
What is included
- Airport pick up and private transfer to the hotel in San José on Day 1
- Transfer to San José bus station on Day 2 and public bus from San José to Puerto Jimenez
- Shared accommodation (1st night in San José + project)
- Meals included on the project (mainly vegetarian)
- Activities: evening walks, jungle walks, game and film nights, pizza evenings, etc.
- Support throughout your stay
- 24/7 Assistance
- Project donation
Not included
- Flights
- Travel Insurance
- Airport drop-off
Where your money goes
Donations are reinvested in full and directly into the local associations. How the costs break down
See the budget week by week
| Length | Total programme budget |
|---|
Getting ready to leave
Your application
An up-to-date CV and a cover letter describing your background and what brings you here.
Conditions to take part
- Age 18+
- Intermediate level of English
- Fluency in Spanish is not required.
- Good physical condition.
Insurance
For any project abroad, Freepackers requires travel insurance covering accidents, illness, repatriation and third-party liability. With Chapka Cap Student, you get 5% off.
Online language lessons
With Clic Campus: video lessons and an e-learning platform, from home.
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