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Best Sea Turtle Volunteer Programs for 2023 – 2024
marine conservation abroad , sea turtle conservation abroad , sea turtle conservation volunteer abroad , turtle conservation volunteering
Volunteer Abroad , Wildlife and Conservation
Turtles are one of the most gentle and harmless species on this planet and the many reasons why they are endangered include their main predators from killer whales to sharks and large fishes. The baby turtles have a lot of vulnerabilities in the early stages of their lives and their eggs stolen by humans who collect them as an aphrodisiac and treat them as a symbol of fertility. These eggs have a very high demand and are exported by the thousands to Asian countries every year.
That is why Volunteering Solutions has introduced the Sea Turtle Conservation Volunteering Programs in Sri Lanka and Costa Rica that will be dedicated to these turtles' preservation and development. These programs are for volunteers who love marine wildlife and the idea of spending time on beaches. You may also use these thrilling and challenging volunteering opportunities to occupy your gap year.
Volunteer For Turtle Conservation, Sri Lanka
Your Role & Responsibilities:
You will be an active participant in the whole Kosgoda Turtle Conservation Program performing volunteering tasks such as
Burying turtle eggs to rescue them from poachers.
Keeping a track of their hatching time.
Helping the emerging baby turtles.
Conserving the turtle population.
Cleaning the turtles.
Feeding them and helping them in whatever ways possible.
Preparing their food.
Hand feeding the injured turtles.
Setting up their tanks.
Patrolling the beach every day to check for fishing nets, which injure or kill a lot of sea turtles every year.
Benefits of Joining This Program
If you decide to join this program, then you must prepare yourself for some extensive on-field work. In return, this Turtle Volunteering Work in Sri Lanka will provide you with an international work experience which will help you immensely in your future career prospects.
You will get the opportunity to witness the ancient turtles' ritual of coming ashore to lay their eggs. This site alone will make it an ideal and unforgettable location for you to marvel at a nature's fascinating process!
Fun Day Trips Around
The volunteering work will take up your weekdays and on the weekends you will have the opportunity the unbelievable beautiful island country of Sri Lanka with its white beaches and exotic cuisine. You can also choose to learn Sri Lankan cooking, relish a bbq on the beach and go for day trips to cities like Colombo for exploring ancient temples, wetlands and waterfront places. The historic city of Galle and the sunny in of Unawatuna are also not so far along south from Kosgoda.
Past Volunteers Loved It!
Sharon Pun (Hong Kong)
"My volunteering experience in Sri Lanka was so rewarding. I got the chance to learn about turtles, to meet people, to experience the local culture, to enjoy the nature, and to see myself having the ability to contribute to the place I like."
Volunteer For Turtle Conservation, Costa Rica
Your Role & Responsibilities
As a Turtle Conservation Program Volunteer in the Pacific or Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, your work will be focussed on:
Protecting leatherback sea turtle nests from human poachers.
Helping in the management of sustainable egg-harvesting programs.
Working in the hatcheries to ensure that Costa Rica's turtle population is maintained and does not become endangered.
Work with the local staff and helping them to harvest eggs.
Cleaning the beach and patrolling it at night.
Collecting eggs and keeping them out of range from the predators.
Maintaining general infrastructure.
Keeping track of tourist attention doing control walks.
Monitoring the nesting activity of turtles which may also involve species identification.
Collecting their biometric information and marking their nesting areas.
Protecting and monitoring the eggs, liberating the newborn turtles.
The personality and physical traits that are considered the most important requirements for this volunteer turtle conservation program are hard-working nature, sensitivity to ecology, and enthusiasm to learn things about new cultures.
For joining this Turtle Volunteering Program in Costa Rica too, you should prepare yourself physically and mentally to be able to do tough manual work that requires you to be in a good physical condition. Such a Volunteering Program will shine on your resume and you will receive a certificate after the successful completion of this program. This certificate will be provided on request.
San Jose will be around a 6-hour drive from the location of your program so, you can take a day trip there to explore some museums and theatre houses there. The architectural designs that you will see will be simply admirable. You can also visit the Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture or go surfing, hiking, trekking or canopying Costa Rica. Try exploring some active volcanoes like the Arenal, the Poas, and the Chato volcanoes.
Erica Howell (United States)
"My experience was absolutely rewarding! My host family was so humble and treated me and the other volunteer with kindness and as if we were apart of the family. Seeing turtles was a very moving experience."
It is human beings who think of the turtle eggshell as a rare piece of work because of its exquisite design and that is how sea turtles began being chased to the point of endangerment more because of this inconsiderate human greed as compared to the hunting habits of these turtles' natural predators. The Hawksbill turtle has even become critically endangered because of such human behavior.
Volunteering for these endangered turtles, saving their lives, watching them grow and making their lives better in this way will give you a deep and meaningful sense of satisfaction. Watching these adorable creatures hatch will uplift your spirit and arouse your protective instincts for them. If you decide to take up such a program then you might end up taking yourself by surprise when you discover your capacity of kindness and measure the lengths to which you can go to for these turtles that need your help!
For more information about this program, you can directly drop us a mail at [email protected]
Palak Narula
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