• Life Below Water
Available from Dec 2024

Sea Turtle Conservation

location
1 - 30 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Volunteer project with the highest quality. This project sets unprecedented standards in quality - an unparalleled level of excellence.

Highlights

  • Directly assist on conservation tasks to help endangered sea turtles such as the; Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Green Turtle. Ensuring as many eggs and hatchlings survive their time on land.
  • Experience the rural Ghanaian way of life and it's laid back, friendly atmosphere. Perfect stepping stone for travel abroad, Ghana is often classed as Africa for beginners!
  • Beatiful beaches, tropical weather and cooling coastal breezes await you on our beach conservation project.

Highlights

  • Directly assist on conservation tasks to help endangered sea turtles such as the; Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Green Turtle. Ensuring as many eggs and hatchlings survive their time on land.
  • Experience the rural Ghanaian way of life and it's laid back, friendly atmosphere. Perfect stepping stone for travel abroad, Ghana is often classed as Africa for beginners!
  • Beatiful beaches, tropical weather and cooling coastal breezes await you on our beach conservation project.
  • Make unforgettabe memories travelling with your fellow volunteers at weekends to places such as Mole Safari Park, Cape Coast Castle & Boti Waterfall.
  • Work alongside fellow international volunteers in a close group and make friends for life whilst having a direct impact on sea turtle populations.


  • Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Families
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Protect endangered sea turtles along the Ghana coastline. Working on nesting sites and beach patrols whilst experiencing beautiful surroundings in your free time.

    ONLY AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER - MARCH DUE TO THE TURTLE NESTING SEASON

    About
    Join our new sea turtle conversation project and assist in protecting endangered sea turtle species such as the Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Green Turtle. Take part in beach patrols to collect data on nesting sites and sea ...

    About the program

    ONLY AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER - MARCH DUE TO THE TURTLE NESTING SEASON

    About
    Join our new sea turtle conversation project and assist in protecting endangered sea turtle species such as the Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Green Turtle. Take part in beach patrols to collect data on nesting sites and sea turtle activity, relocate eggs to specially constructed hatchery to protect the eggs during their at risk period, ensure hatchery is safe and secure to help increase hatching and population targets for these species.

    Why this placement
    Sea turtles are a key stone species which means they have a crucial influence on their environment and surrounding species. Unfortunately as globally experienced, sea turtle numbers declined due to accidental capture in fishing gear, hunted for their meat and habitat destruction due to climate change and human impact.  By assisting in data collection and conservation tasks we aim to play our part in the protection of eggs and hatchlings to protect population numbers as part of the global effort.

    What is included
    Support Staff - Accommodation - House Utility Bills - Pre Departure Support

    Support Staff - You will have both pre departure support from our head office team and then in country support at the project sites with you to ensure you have a smooth transition into a new culture and answer any queries you may have.

    Accommodation - Living with your fellow volunteers and support team you will have the benefit of a tight knit family feel and always ensuring there is someone to chat to and plan your free time activities. For full information on the accommodation provided please see below in the dedicated part of the listing. 

    How do I get to the placement
    Depending on your team allocation and location assigned you may be a short distance to the beach that requires patrolling on that shift. You have the option to walk, cycle or take a short shared taxi ride depending on the distance.

    What will I be doing
    The core pillars of the conservation project at this time are; Beach Patrols, Hatchery Supervision & Data Collection.

    Beach Patrols - Through the night you will be allocated a shift and beach stretch where you will monitor the beach looking for signs of nesting, during this shift you will log your miles and stretch of beach patrolled. Upon finding a nest, depending on location we would aim to transport these safely to the dedicated hatchery to increase their chance of survival and protect them from outside threats. Upon spotting sea turtles you will be responsible for logging the details for ongoing monitoring such as photograph, verifying species, approximate size, location etc.

    Hatchery Supervision - When assigned on hatchery duties you will be supervising the location to ensure a safe environment away from any threats such as dogs or birds etc and making any necessary fence repairs or fixes.

    Data Collection - Processing the data collected by the beach patrol teams or from your previous night shift, ensuring this is processed in a clear and accurate manner to share with our conservation partners both in Ghana and overseas.

    Depending on volunteer team numbers and workload we also aim to run community awareness schemes to highlight the importance of sea turtles and their impact, tagging of adult sea turtles caught by fishermen and ensuring their safe return to the ocean and then providing this tagging information to worldwide organisations to assist in the tracking and monitoring of adult populations and establishing a fishing exchange where fishermen who have caught sea turtles as by catch can turn over the sea turtle to us for a fixed fee or item to prevent it being sold to traders for meat etc.

    Who will I be working with
    Depending on the numbers of volunteers at a time we aim to group volunteers into couples or small groups especially at the start of your trip until you complete the training and feel comfortable, however there may be periods of time further down the line where this is not possible due to the amount of beach to be covered during the patrols for example.
    Our support team will always be closeby between the project sites or accommodation should you need any further support or assistance when in country.

    What should I bring
    For your own comfort, light summer clothes will be best for most of your time during the placement. It would be useful to bring a sturdy pair of shoes for when going through the local forest.
    You may find it useful to bring your own red torch light to use whilst on night patrols. We will have a core amount to cover the group per patrol team however the salt air and not the highest quality local torch products means that they don't last too long. You can find red light handheld or head torches on stores such as Amazon.
    Activities or board games to spend your free time with your fellow volunteers are usually greatly appreciated!


    Typical day

    • 12am to 2am - Night Beach Patrol (On shift rotation) / Searching for nesting turtles.
    • 5am to 7am - Morning Beach Patrol (On shift rotation) / Searching for eggs and nests along the beach.
    • 7am to 9am - Morning Rest to prepare breakfast and get ready for the day.
    • 9am to 10am - Releasing of any hatchlings ...

    Typical day

    • 12am to 2am - Night Beach Patrol (On shift rotation) / Searching for nesting turtles.
    • 5am to 7am - Morning Beach Patrol (On shift rotation) / Searching for eggs and nests along the beach.
    • 7am to 9am - Morning Rest to prepare breakfast and get ready for the day.
    • 9am to 10am - Releasing of any hatchlings into the ocean that may have hatched at the nursery
    • 11am to 12pm - Lunch Break
    • 12pm to 3pm - Daily Activities depending on assignment and current workload which can include;
      • Monitoring of hathchery, replenishing sand when needed and making any repairs to keep structure safe.
      • Beach cleanups
      • Helping out on community farming sites.
      • Plastics recycling and ecobricking.
      • Educational Outreaches, School Partnerships and Community Sensitisation.
      • Data Processing and logging of nesting sites, successful releases, species monitored etc.
      • Visiting neighbouring communities on fishing bycatch rescue missions of adult sea turtles.
    • 3pm onwards - Free time: to explore the local beaches, forests and villages as well as chance to get to know your fellow volunteers and in house activities such as games nights, local language and cooking lessons.
    • 6pm to 7pm - Evening activities;
      • Twi language lesson
      • Family Night
      • Local cooking lessons
      • Beach games / Sports
      • Bonfire
      • Ecobricking

    Free-time activities

    Mid Week Free Time

    After school and evenings offer these local opportunities around the local area:

    • Hiking / Trekking
    • Swimming
    • Surfing
    • Sightseeing of surrounding forest and landmarks
    • After school & Homework Clubs
    • Sports and beach games
    • Local cooking lessons
    • Language lessons
    • Boat trips
    • Cape 3 Points lighthouse ...

    Free-time activities

    Mid Week Free Time

    After school and evenings offer these local opportunities around the local area:

    • Hiking / Trekking
    • Swimming
    • Surfing
    • Sightseeing of surrounding forest and landmarks
    • After school & Homework Clubs
    • Sports and beach games
    • Local cooking lessons
    • Language lessons
    • Boat trips
    • Cape 3 Points lighthouse tour

    Weekend Free Time

    Most volunteers will travel at weekends, across Ghana we have many amazing experiences which you can discover. Here are just a few ideas:

    • Safari
    • Museums
    • Slave Castles
    • Canopy Walk
    • Waterfalls
    • Malls and Cinemas (Showing latest films)
    • Beautiful Beaches
    • Shopping / Arts & Crafts
    • Restaurants and Nightlife

    We are on hand to offer any advice that you might need.


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (basic level)

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    - Basic level of fitness for active tasks. - Ability to work in a warm humid environment.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Atlas Volunteers

    Breakdown of Fees
    Your placement fees will cover your shared accommodation and on site support staff. In addition to; initial registration fee, pre departure support, orientation & training and house utility bills (electricity, cooking gas, tap water)

    Please note that the fee at time of application is indicative. The actual fee may vary depending on the number of volunteers, supplies changing in costs and location of beaches assigned by the local authorities. The final price will be communicated to you as part of your pre departure documentation and guidance.

    Accommodation

    Accommodation
    Volunteers will always share with fellow volunteers on the team as well as their support team supervisor. The utilities you will use are covered part of your fees such as water, cooking gas and electricity. Depending on your team assignment you will live in shared volunteer housing overlooking the ocean, it's supplied with basic kitchen equipment and shared areas to relax on your off time.

    Accommodation is basic but comfortable. We try to provide a balanced level for our volunteer housing that meets the basic needs of our international volunteers, whilst still being in touch with our local communities and not 'out of place' or disconnected from local average standards.

    Bedrooms are shared usually between 2-3 people as well as a shared bathroom with running water. 
    Running water is quite a luxury in Ghana, especially in this local area but our volunteer accommodation has this benefit with cold water showers.
    A basic kitchen is supplied with a fridge and gas hob. Volunteers usually arrange shopping from a local market town on a weekly basis and there are a few street food vendors in the village.

    There is a basic wifi system in place where you can purchase wifi codes to use the local network at home. This costs approximately 30 cedis for 10GB data per month as of February 2024.

    If you're ready for an extra level of adventure, at certain parts of the year it may be possible to lend a hand on our extended beach patrol sites in camping facilities on the beach.

    Internet Access

    Limited access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Airport Pickup at Takoradi Airport

    An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

    Food & Beverages

    Food, snacks or beverages are at extra costs.

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Takoradi Airport (TKD) in Takoradi. We assist you to find cheap flights to Ghana. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Ghana provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Ghana you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Ghana. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    - Sea turtle nesting season in Ghana is between September - March so the project is only available within these months.

    - You are able to arrive any date however it's usually quite useful if you arrive Friday - Sunday so that you can join the weekly timetable from Monday.

    - There is a few different options available to reach our camp at Cape Three Points, once confirmed on the team we can run through the specific details and costs but as an overview these options are;
    • Domestic flight from Accra (Kotoka International Airport) to Takoradi Airport and then a taxi or shared bus (Trotro) from Takoradi to Cape Three Points.
    • Taxi hire from Accra (Kotoka International Airport) direct to Cape Three Points
    • Public transport from Accra to Takoradi using buses and trotros. Journey would be roughly from Circle Bus Station in Accra to Takoradi, Takoradi to Agona and then Agona to Cape Three Points.
    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    1 week (min. stay) 191€
    4 weeks 762€
    8 weeks 1,525€
    12 weeks 2,287€
    16 weeks 2,933€
    18 weeks 3,215€
    30 weeks (max. stay) 3,409€
    Average fees 151€/week

    Program fees

    151€ per week 1 - 30 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    1 - 30 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Atlas Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Atlas Volunteers

    Excellent 4.8 rating (241 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2017

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Excellent response rate

    Coordinated by

    Sam

    Spoken languages: English

    About the project

    Atlas Volunteers is an NGO providing affordable & meaningful volunteer placements in rural Ghana, Thailand & Cambodia. Created by volunteers, for volunteers.

    Meet your organization

    Who We Are?

    We're a team of volunteers that wanted to startup a volunteer organisation truly by volunteers for volunteers. The initial founders of the team met whilst volunteering in Ghana from 2010 onwards. After becoming the largest volunteer organisation in Ghana in 2023 where we focus on development within our rural areas, we answered the call in 2024 to help our partners on the ground elsewhere in the world whilst still maintaining the same Atlas standards of creating meaningful & affordable volunteering programs for people from all over the world to come lend a hand so that we can leave the world in a better place whilst getting to experience new people, countries and cultures from a meaningful travel experience.

    What We Do?

    Our volunteer team and support coordinators work directly with our local community partners to help make an impact and leave the world a better place than we found it. Our team work across

    • Education - including school support, tutoring sessions, reading clubs and vacation classes.
    • Sports - Football academy, physical education lessons and school sports days.
    • Renovation - Constructing and maintenance of unsafe school buildings as well as decorating and improvements.
    • Eco Projects - including reforestation, plastics upcycling and community cleanups.
    • Community - farm assistant and health insurance drives.
    • Conservation - Sea Turtle & Elephant conservation programs.

    Where We Work?

    Our main flagship program is based at the Abetifi district in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It holds the highest habitable town in Ghana upon a mountainous area so we have the benefit of a cooler overall temperature especially on the evenings and mornings. The volunteer house is in one of the towns close to Abetifi called Aduamoah. Abetifi is our closest larger town just a few minutes drive where there are banks, shops, market etc. The volunteer programs you will be visiting will be spread from the towns to just twenty minutes down the road on the road to Lake Volta (the largest man made lake in the world) where we work with remote villages to strengthen their facilities and improve their way of life. Life is fairly laid back in the area and time is soon spent chatting with people in passing and visiting friends. The Kwahu area has an extremely low crime rate and volunteers are given the chance and encouraged to explore the local towns alone or in groups with our team.

    We also run our sea turtle conservation project at Cape Three Points between September - March each year during the nesting season. Cape Three Points is a complete contract to Abetifi where it's a tiny rural village but benefits from the most amazing beach and forest views. In 2024 we have also launched programs in Thailand and Cambodia with really exciting programs that are genuinely making a difference to conservation, education and community development efforts on the ground.

    Our History

    Our Mission


    Who Are We Looking For?

    We are looking for flexible, caring volunteers who have the drive to not only help but to familiarise themselves with the local culture and characters. The ability to work outside of your usual comfort zone will not make your trip easiest but help towards our social impact goals.

    241 reviews · rating4.8

    Merlin de Vries rating5

    2024 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    Where do I even start?! I came to Ghana for the volunteerwork with the see turtles. Unfortunately I was at the end of the hatching period and the eggs that were in the hatchery did not survive the crabs. So this means I did nog get to see any turtles, of course that is nature so Atlas could do ...
    Bo Brink rating4.8

    2024 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    I have been there for 3 weeks and that is a good time because you make more nice connections with the people who live in the village. Also you can do more for the school give theme lessons and build on the school ...
    Waldo Maier rating4.6

    2024 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    The place is very remote but very beautiful. At first I was very nervous when driving to the camp through the forest and rough roads but it was really worth the visit. A very nice adventure and really good to be able to help on meaningful tasks. I was able to surf and explore the local villages in ...
    Hannah Hackl-Lehner rating5

    2023 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    I started my stay at the beach in Cape Three Points at the Sea Turtle Conservation Project and although it was completely new, I was able to see a lot of turtles. It always was magical for me to watch the baby turtles finding their way into the sea. Ghana is a stunning nation with lots of natural ...
    Maria Steinhauser rating5

    2023 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    Even though I stayed for just a week I had a really fun time! The beach is beautiful and seeing sea turtles for the first time in my life was an amazing experience! I also felt really comfortable at the accommodation, it was spacious and we also had enough privacy. Thank you ...
    Flora Turner rating5

    2023 at Sea Turtle Conservation

    I had the best three weeks in Ghana and would recommend this to anyone. It was a nice opportunity to immerse myself in the culture while having plenty of downtime to ...

    Location

    Africa > Western Africa > Ghana > Cape Three Points

    You might also be interested in

    Contact Sam
      Excellent response rate
    English

    Most volunteers ask about


    Do you have any more questions? Send a message to Sam
    Please don't share personal contact details for your privacy

    Book with Flex Option!

    Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs within 12 months.

    Enjoy our services for dedicated volunteers!

    Enjoy a Refund Guarantee, Free Flex Option, and Emergency Assistance. Our Price-Guarantee ensures unbeatable value, and our Support Team is ready to assist.