from 877€

Perfect 4.6rating (195)

Sea Turtle Conservation Sri Lanka

location
1 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Perfect 4.6  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Care for resident turtles at the sanctuary!
  • Be the first to arrive at a nesting site and collect the eggs, bringing them back to the safety of the hatchery!
  • Share in a once in lifetime experience, assisting with the release of the baby turtles back into the ocean!
  • Engage with tourists that visit the sanctuary, providing tours and information
  • Teach English and marine conservation to future generations by visiting local schools

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Take part in the Great Turtle Project in Sri Lanka as a turtle volunteer and have a hand in the conservation of the country's beautiful sea turtles!

The overall aim of this sea turtle conservation project is to monitor sea turtle activity and conserve the local nesting sites in the Kosgoda region of Sri Lanka. Working with turtles here is carried out by staff and volunteers and it has been hugely successful since the project's inception in ...

About the program

The overall aim of this sea turtle conservation project is to monitor sea turtle activity and conserve the local nesting sites in the Kosgoda region of Sri Lanka. Working with turtles here is carried out by staff and volunteers and it has been hugely successful since the project's inception in 1988. The praise-worthy achievements of this project are largely due to the continued support it receives from teams of volunteers. The turtle conservation work relies upon the involvement of truly dedicated people, and every turtle volunteer can help play an integral role here.

About the Project

This incredible project, situated in the Kosgoda region of Sri Lanka has been established for over 20 years and is still continuing its brilliant work in the field of sea turtle conservation. 

By far the most dangerous predators of turtles are humans as turtles and their eggs are valuable commodities. Hundreds of thousands of eggs are stolen from beaches here every year, and shells are used for ornamental purposes such as hair slides and combs - its rarity ensures high demand. In Sri Lanka, where poverty is widespread, sea turtle nests and turtles themselves are robbed of their eggs and shells by poachers for sale on the black market. 

The overall aim of this project is to conserve the local nesting sites in the area and to increase turtle populations by raising and releasing baby turtles. This also involves increasing public awareness of the increasing endangerment of this amazing species, and the importance of their protection. One of the most important ways this is achieved is through the development and maintenance of hatcheries, where turtle eggs are relocated to hatch safely, away from predators before being released into the sea at night-time. The weaker turtle babies are held back from release for a ‘head-starting’ process, so that they are given the best chance of survival. With sea turtles facing threats from a variety of sources, including natural predators, poaching and hunting by locals looking to make money from the sale of their meat and eggs, their conservation is of prime importance. This project aims to increase the survival of turtles from the laying of eggs to the release of hatchlings into the sea. Therefore every nest-ground, every egg, every hatchling and every turtle is crucial to the survival of the species. The project also helps maintain the local beaches, ensuring they are ideal for turtles laying eggs.

Please note, although this project runs throughout the year, turtle nesting season is from November - April and hatching is from January - June. Outside of these times, your main focus will be caring for the turtles that live at the sanctuary and the teaching program.

Prior to Arrival 

You will need to arrive into Colombo International Airport between 9am - 5pm on the start date of your project, where you will be met by a project representative and transferred to the project site, roughly three hours' drive away.



Typical day

First Day

Arrive into Colombo airport and transfer to the project site. The evening comprises of an orientation which will cover important information regarding the volunteer project itself and is a chance to get any questions answered you may have.

Regular Days

After an Introduction to the sea turtle ...

Typical day

First Day

Arrive into Colombo airport and transfer to the project site. The evening comprises of an orientation which will cover important information regarding the volunteer project itself and is a chance to get any questions answered you may have.

Regular Days

After an Introduction to the sea turtle conservation project and staff, a work schedule is devised and then it is time to start the volunteering activities. You will take part in a variety of tasks and activities and be involved in the day-to-day running of the project and the turtle conservation efforts. Weekends are free for you to spend as you wish. Activities include:

Caring for turtles that live at the centre: 

At the centre there are four species of turtle resident (predominantly green but also loggerhead, olive ridley and one hawksbill) and your principal role as a volunteer is to take care of these.

Maintaining the project area and beach: 

This is a major part of the work here; as you will need to make sure the nesting sites remain as healthy and safe as possible to give the turtles the best chance of survival.

Burying the eggs brought by vendors: 

This is another essential part of the project work. Vendors often bring eggs to the centre and these need to be buried as soon as possible in order to safeguard them for hatching.

Cleaning and constructing the hatcheries:

Keeping the area clean is essential in keeping the turtles healthy. As part of the rota you will be responsible for ensuring the tanks and hatchery are clean. You’ll even get to clean the turtle’s shells!

Feeding the turtles: 

This will of course be a daily task and you will be involved in cutting up and preparing the food (which is predominantly tuna) before feeding it to the turtles.

Turtle Release:

This is often the volunteer’s favourite activity – particularly when releasing the babies back into the sea! You will often need to be on hand to scare away predators such as birds.

Teaching English to local communities: 

English teachers are scarce in Kosgoda and so English-speaking volunteers are always greatly valued by locals who are keen to learn. Volunteers spend some afternoons interacting with the community, teaching conversational English.

Hatchery Tours: 

In order to help to educate people about the importance of preserving the sea turtles in Sri Lanka and the work of the project itself volunteers often lend a hand with tours of the hatchery.

Please note that this is only a rough guideline, and the itinerary may be subject to change depending on the needs of the reserva.

Last Day

After fond farewells you will be transferred back to the airport in Colombo for your return flight home or to commence your independent travel plans.


Free-time activities

On the weekend you have free time to explore the surrounding area, just a bus ride away from some amazing beaches. You could visit the colonial town of Galle, go surfing in Hikkaduwa or embark on a river cruise in Balapitya. The project team are happy to arrange transport and day trips for you ...

Free-time activities

On the weekend you have free time to explore the surrounding area, just a bus ride away from some amazing beaches. You could visit the colonial town of Galle, go surfing in Hikkaduwa or embark on a river cruise in Balapitya. The project team are happy to arrange transport and day trips for you during your stay.


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 (intermediate level)

Nationality Restrictions

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

Other Skills

No specific skills or experience are required, just commitment to the project and its aims.

Time Commitment

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

What's Included

What's Included

Services by The Great Projects

  • Airport transfers
  • Accommodation (Bedrooms have air-conditioning)
  • All meals
  • Detailed orientation
  • Volunteer project activities
  • On site project coordinator
  • 24 emergency contact in the UK
  • Filtered water, Tea & Coffee
  • Wi-fi internet access

Airport Pickup at Bandaranaike International Airport

You will need to arrive into Colombo International airport between 9am - 5pm on the start date of your project, where you will be met by a project representative and transferred to the project site, roughly three hours drive away.

Accommodation

The accommodation on this project is a volunteer house on the project site. The rooms you will be staying in are basic but clean and are based on twin or triple rooms. The accommodation also includes modern toilets, showers and air-conditioning and there is a communal dining and living area where you will enjoy your meals and down time. The volunteer house also boasts lovely gardens and a large swimming pool!

Food & Beverages

Whilst on site you will be provided with three meals a day and filtered water served by the housekeeper in the volunteer house. Breakfast consists of fresh fruit, bread and jams and eggs, lunch and dinner will typically consist of Sri Lankan dishes like curry (fish or chicken) and rice, vegetable dishes served buffet style.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo. We assist you to find cheap flights to Sri Lanka. 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 Sri Lanka provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

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

Details on arrival

This project takes place on every Sunday throughout the year. Please contact us to check whether your preferred start date is available.

Please note that turtle nesting season in Sri Lanka takes place between November and May, while hatching season falls between January and June (peak February - April). You may like to bear this in mind when selecting your start date.
Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 877€
2 weeks 1,256€
3 weeks 1,508€
4 weeks 1,761€
5 weeks 2,013€
6 weeks 2,266€
7 weeks 2,518€
8 weeks 2,771€
9 weeks 3,023€
10 weeks 3,275€
11 weeks 3,528€
12 weeks (max. stay) 3,780€
Average fees 596€/week

Program fees

596€ per week 1 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 12 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 The Great Projects during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

The Great Projects

Perfect 4.6 rating (195 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2003

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Lauren

Spoken languages: English

About the project

The Great Projects work with organisations worldwide to establish high standards in animal welfare and conservation within the responsible tourism sector.

Meet your organization

Looking to volunteer abroad with animals? Here at The Great Projects we believe that there is a better way to holiday. Our award-winning wildlife volunteering abroad with animals projects and signature tours are not only designed to provide truly unique and life-changing experiences for volunteering worldwide, but our donation and conservation pledges ensure that your travel will have a lasting and sustainable impact on some of the planet's most incredible and endangered species and the local communities which live alongside them.

It all began with The Great Orangutan Project in Malaysian Borneo and after a number of years working with local authorities, passionate project facilitators, and hard-working volunteers to create a sustainable, progressive, and effective project - The Great Projects decided to use the experiences and knowledge we had gained to expand our expertise to other projects in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe!

Now with over 35 projects, you can be confident in the fact that you’ll be able to volunteer with some of the world's most incredible wildlife species in completely breath-taking environments. From orangutans in the Bornean rainforest to whale sharks in the Indian Ocean; you’re sure to find something suited to your interests. What’s more, The Great Projects make sure that with us, volunteers are completely immersed into the heart of the matter, at site, delivering an experience like no other as you become familiar with the life of an animal keeper, game ranger, or wildlife conservationist.

Plus, every time someone volunteers with The Great Projects  in addition to their fee which covers accommodation, food, and transfers, we donate up to £350 to the project visited to help the project itself. Therefore, our ecotours and projects are not only designed to be an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life, but you will also join a project knowing that your travel truly does help to save endangered animals and the local communities with which they live alongside.

Here at The Great Projects, we believe that we should practice what we preach. We send volunteers to worldwide destinations on a range of truly unique and thoroughly worthwhile projects that make a real, sustainable difference to their causes. What’s more, The Great Projects provide them with dedicated UK-based staff that ensure volunteers have informative and friendly help throughout all stages of their experience, from initial enquiry to their return.

Through this, we can show volunteers that there is a better way to holiday. Our award-winning wildlife volunteering abroad with animals projects and signature tours are not only designed to provide truly unique and life-changing experiences for volunteering worldwide, but our donation and conservation pledges ensure that your travel will have a lasting and sustainable impact on some of the planet's most incredible and endangered species and the local communities which live alongside them.


Further, The Great Projects does not only aim to provide travel destinations that hold responsibility for animal welfare, but also to the environmental, economic and social impact of our conservation projects as a whole.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Here at The Great Projects, we are completely dedicated to providing our volunteers with the utmost protection with regards to health and safety.

Adventurous travel always involves some degree of risk. Our priority is to keep you safe and protect you as much as possible whilst still giving you an authentic experience of life in your chosen destination.

We conduct extensive risk assessments to make sure we have identified potential hazards and done everything we can to reduce them and we make sure you have the information you need about the destination you are visiting and how to stay safe and healthy while you are out there. We also are partnered with Endsleigh Insurance who are able to offer volunteers comprehensive insurance for all of our projects.

195 reviews · rating4.6

Philipp Klaes rating4.4

2018 at Sea Turtle Conservation Sri Lanka

It was an amazing time! Lovely people all around (not only the volunteers, also all local people!). The work was funny but also taff. We did all lot of things like hatching, cleaning of tanks and turtles, digging and ...
Katherine rating4.8

2016 at Sea Turtle Conservation Sri Lanka

This was an amazing experience, I would highly recommend it. Everyone is so friendly, the food is great and you gain so much knowledge on turtle biology, ecology and their conservation. Being able to experience Sri Lanka was great as well, they have such a rich culture, it is wonderful to immerse ...
Christine rating4.4

2016 at Sea Turtle Conservation Sri Lanka

Every day was the best but the most fond memory was the day we were planting trees on the beach and it was overcast. We didn't expect the rain to come down so hard but it did and we were all scrambling for the trees thinking we could get some cover - NOT! For 10 VERY LONG minutes we were getting ...
It is with some sadness that we write this message as it means our time in Sri Lanka has come to an end. However, we are already planning our return to Kosgoda Sea Turtle hatchery, back to this beautiful island. The major stimulus driving us back here are the warm hearts and happy smiles recieved ...
Within a time span of 24 hours, the lovely group of volunteers spent the night at the beach watching over a huge mother turtle laying 100 eggs, released newborn hatchlings into the Indian Ocean, and watched newborn turtles emerge from the sand in the hatchery! It was absolutely ...

Location

Asia > Southern Asia > Sri Lanka > Kosgoda

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