vanaf 312€

Fantastisch 4.5rating (239)

Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

location
1 - 35 weken  ·  Leeftijd 18 - 50+

rating  Fantastisch 4.5  · 
  Geverifieerd door Volunteer World
  Uitstekend Responsgraad

Hoogste Kwaliteit Vrijwilligersproject. Dit project biedt de hoogste kwaliteit die normen stelt - ver boven het gemiddelde.

Highlights

  • Join an exciting volunteer opportunity focused on the protection of endangered sea turtles, contributing to their conservation and preservation
  • Engage in beach patrols during evening and night walks, actively searching for female turtles and their vulnerable nests, ensuring their safety from poachers and predators
  • Care for the turtle eggs, providing the necessary support and ensuring they are ready for their incredible journey back to the sea
  • Make the most of your weekends by exploring breathtaking beaches and immersing yourself in the rich Costa Rican culture, creating unforgettable memories
  • Connect with passionate volunteers from around the world, forming meaningful friendships and establishing lifelong connections through shared experiences

Vooral geschikt voor

Leeftijd 18+
Alleenstaanden
Koppels
Families
Groepen

Over het programma

Get in direct contact with turtles and help us conserve the biggest turtle in the sea! Here you will have the chance to meet and work with awesome animals!

Our main mission at Tortugas de Pacuare is to protect endangered sea turtles such as the Leatherback sea turtle, Hawksbill sea turtle and the Green sea turtle. With the support of the local community and of the the international volunteers, we aim at conserving the environment. By working with sea ...

Over het programma

Our main mission at Tortugas de Pacuare is to protect endangered sea turtles such as the Leatherback sea turtle, Hawksbill sea turtle and the Green sea turtle. With the support of the local community and of the the international volunteers, we aim at conserving the environment. By working with sea turtles, locals and environmental education programs, we will be able to educate people on the importance of caring about and protecting the valuable maritime ecosystem.

Turtle seasons: 
  • Leatherback turtle season: from the last week of February to the end of June 
  • Green turtle season: from July to September 
  • Hawksbill turtle season: from April to August 

One important thing when we work in animal protection is: wildlife isn't predictable, so we cannot exactly say how your experience will be. We are only sure one thing: mother nature is awesome and always surprise us. That's why we love to work saving turtles.

Working with Turtles
Working with the turtles means that you will be doing night patrols on the beach. With local guides and a group of people you will patrol on the beach to collect turtle eggs and relocate them to a turtle hatchery where they will be safe from poachers. Furthermore, you will be working at the hatchery, take care of the turtle eggs and the freshly hatched turtles and make sure that they are well prepared for their dangerous journey back into the sea.

The Leatherback Turtle - Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on Earth, growing up to seven feet (two meters) long and exceeding 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). These reptilian relics are the only remaining representatives of a family of turtles that traces its evolutionary roots back more than 100 million years. Once prevalent in every ocean, except the Arctic and Antarctic, the leatherback population has rapidly declined in many parts of the world. This is partly because of their shell. While all other sea turtles have hard, bony shells, the inky-blue carapace of the leatherback is somewhat flexible and almost rubbery to the touch. This makes it more vulnerable to predators and poachers. Furthermore, their eggs are often taken by humans from nests to be consumed for subsistence or as aphrodisiacs. 

The Green Sea Turtle - The green turtle is a large, weighty sea turtle with a wide, smooth carapace, or shell. It is named not for the color of its shell (which is normally brown or olive depending on its habitat), but for the greenish color of its skin. Weighing up to 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms) green turtles are among the largest sea turtles in the world. While most sea turtles warm themselves by swimming close to the surface of shallow waters, the Eastern Pacific green turtle will reach the land to bask in the sun. This habit makes them extremely vulnerable to predators and poachers, looking for their meat and eggs.

Communal Work
But there is communal work as well. You, the volunteers, will work in the maintenance of the camp or in our recycling program. We spend our time doing community service work and helping to maintain community facilities, local schools, sports fields, and execute beach cleanups in conjunction with the Blue Flag committee. In addition, we help the local population with construction of gardens.

Our program is a communal initiative and we work closely with the people from Barra de Pacuare. You will learn lots about our culture. It is especially important for us to promote contact with locals. In return, they will be offering you the opportunity to do fishing tours, kayaking, or tours by boat to Tortuguero National Park. 

Location
The project is located 40 km south of Tortuguero in a small town called Barra de Pacuare, in the middle of the Caribbean. This makes us one of the most strategic destinations for the arrival of leatherback turtles, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles. These are the most threatened species and are in a serious danger of extinction.

Our main goal is to save turtles. This is the reason why we keep the participation fee of the program very low. It helps us to maintain the station and to save one of the most amazing animals of the ocean.


Dagelijkse activiteiten

Your schedule as a volunteer can vary each day, but mostly it will look like this one:

Meals
  • 8:30 am: breakfast 
  • 12:30 am: lunch 
Communal work
  • 9:30 am: communal work
  • 2:30 pm: communal work
The total communal work during the day is approx. 2 hours 

Turtle hatchery
The turtle hatchery has to be protected ...

Dagelijkse activiteiten

Your schedule as a volunteer can vary each day, but mostly it will look like this one:

Meals
  • 8:30 am: breakfast 
  • 12:30 am: lunch 
Communal work
  • 9:30 am: communal work
  • 2:30 pm: communal work
The total communal work during the day is approx. 2 hours 

Turtle hatchery
The turtle hatchery has to be protected 24/7. These are the timetables that have to be respected. Of course, you won't work the whole day there.
  • 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
  • 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
  • 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
  • 10:00 pm to 4:00 am
  • 4:00 am to 8:00 am
Beach patrolling 
The most important time to patrol on the beaches is at night. This is when the turtles usually come ashore to lay their eggs and thus, the most dangerous moment for them. 
  • 8:00 pm to 12:00 am
  • 12:00 am to 4:00 am

Vrijetijdsactiviteiten

Our volunteers will have the chance to spend their time enjoying the wild life and meeting many different animals.

Furthermore, they can do sports on the beach or simply tan and relax while enjoying a good book. 

Also they can spend time together with the locals and enjoy getting to know a new ...

Vrijetijdsactiviteiten

Our volunteers will have the chance to spend their time enjoying the wild life and meeting many different animals.

Furthermore, they can do sports on the beach or simply tan and relax while enjoying a good book. 

Also they can spend time together with the locals and enjoy getting to know a new culture. This is always a great opportunity to make new friends as well.


Voorwaarden

Voorwaarden

Minimum leeftijd: 18 jaar

Om deel te nemen aan het programma dien je tenminste 18 jaar oud te zijn op de startdatum van het programma. Er kunnen uitzonderingen gemaakt worden indien je een bewijs van toestemming kan aantonen van uw wettelijke voogd(en) of samen met je ouders deelneemt.

Taalkennis

Je dient over volgende taalkennis te beschikken Engels (basis niveau)

Nationaliteitsbeperkingen

Geen beperkingen. Helpende handen van over de hele wereld zijn welkom.

Tijdsinzet

Uw helpende hand wordt verwacht op maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag en zaterdag

Diensten ingesloten

Diensten ingesloten

Diensten door Tortugas de Pacuare

Our program includes: accommodation on site, 3 meals a day as well as the support of 2 Volunteer coordinators who will be attentive to coordinate anything you need before during and even once the program is over.

We also offer the opportunity to our volunteers to combine programs, even if you only applied for one program and wish to divide your stay in any of our programs, we will take care of coordinating your reservation and transfer to the other camp (the change of programs is subject to availability of space in the programs)

Afhaal aan de luchthaven op Juan Santamaria International Airport

Our driver will pick you up at the airport duly identified with the logo of our organization, he will get in touch with our coordinator infirming your arrival then will take you to the car where he will provide you with Wi-Fi


In this way you can be in contact with your family, friends and with our coordinators, who will be attentive to your needs.

If you wish to opt for this service, it is very important that you contact us and give us the details of your flight.

Our driver will take you to the reserved hostel (In case your arrival in Costa Rica does not coincide with the departure of the buses to the location where the program is located) give you the bus ticket (buy a ticket in advance to reserve a seat for you on the bus), pick you up at the hostel on the day of your trip to the project and take you to the bus .

The cost will be US$80 plus the hostel night (US$20 (dormitory) and US$40 (single/double room).


A taxi (ordered from the camp) will pick you up from the bus and wait for you to take you to the project.

The bus will leave you in the city closest to the town called Batan, from here a taxi will take you to the dock where you will take a boat that will take you to the camp, this service has a cost of $80 and covers the round trip, from Batan to the dock and boat from the dock to the camp,on your departure boat from the camp to the dock and taxi from the dock to Batan 

You can also opt for a pick-up service from the airport to the camp, the cost of this service is $180 for one person + $45 for each extra person ransportation will be free of charge for volunteers who attend the program for more than 4 weeks.


Accomodatie

Our camp is a house with 5 dorms for 6 persons each room other house with 2 dorms for 8 persons each room, men's and women's sleep separate 

You will wake up every morning with the ocean in front of your door and thousands of different bird songs, monkeys and many other animals, the camp it's surrounded by wildlife.

Eten & Drank

We offer vegetarian and vegan food.

  • Breakfast: pancakes, omelet, Gallo pinto, empanadas, tortillas con huevo, and many different tropical fruits.
  • Lunch and dinner: different kinds of picadillos with rice and beans, tortilla de papa, spaghetti with coconut milk sauce, focaccia, pizza, bread, patacones with beans paste, and many variable and Caribbean food.

Internet toegang

Makkelijke toegang op de project site

Wat is er NIET inbegrepen?

Wat is er NIET inbegrepen?

Vlucht tickets

De dichtste luchthaven is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assisteren u met het vinden van goedkope vluchten naar Costa Rica. VIND GOEDKOPE VLUCHTEN

Reisverzekering

Naar het buitenland reizen is een avontuur en het is best om goed voorbereid te zijn. Plots ziek worden of gewond raken, annulaties of diefstal - een reisverzekering voor Costa Rica biedt zekerheid en is een meerwaarde. KRIJG EEN OFFERTE

Vaccinaties

Als je de intentie hebt om als vrijwilliger aan de slag te gaan in Costa Rica dien je eerst medisch advies in te winnen alvorens je eropuit trekt. Kijk de benodigde vaccinaties na voor Costa Rica. VACCINATIE CHECKER

Gegevens over jouw aankomst

Your arrival could be any days except for Sunday.

How arrive to Pacuare:

  • In San Jose take the bus at the Gran Terminal Del Caribe (parada de buses de los Caribeños)
  • Choose the 2 pm bus to Batan
  • Get off the bus in Batan at this point: Soda y Heladería las Brisas and Berny, the taxi driver, will pick you up.
  • From the dock Don Luis Gutiérrez will bring you to the camp

Costs of transportation $80 that include: pick up from Batan to the dock, boat trip from the dock to the camp on your arrival, on your departure boat trip from the camp to the dock and and pick up from the dock to Batan 


If you prefer private transportation, feel free to let us know. We will organize one for $180, that include: pick up from the airport to the dock, boat trip from the dock to the camo, on your departure boat trip from the camp to the dock and taxi from the dock to Batan, from there you coud take the bus to San jose, or for adituinlncost nap cost taxi from the dock to San Jose or airport. 

Beschikbaarheid
jan. feb. mrt. apr. mei. jun. jul. aug. sep. okt. nov. dec.

Programmakosten

1 week (min. verblijf) 312€
2 weken 577€
3 weken 866€
4 weken 1.153€
5 weken 1.218€
9 weken 2.096€
17 weken 3.899€
30 weken 6.823€
35 weken (max. verblijf) 7.603€
Gemiddelde kosten 264€/week

Programmakosten

264€ per week 1 - 35 weken Leeftijd 18 - 50+

Betaalmethodes

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

GEEN CREDITCARDKOSTEN


Duurtijd

1 - 35 weken

Waarborg

De waarborg dient om je plek als vrijwilliger te verzekeren. Betalingen worden door PayPal behandeld, onze betrouwbare betalingsprovider. Indien je niet over een PayPal account beschikt, kan je ook met een credit kaart betalen.


Finale betaling

Uw finale betaling zal worden goedgekeurd door Tortugas de Pacuare gedurende de aanmeld procedure. Veel voorkomende oplossingen zijn een banktransfer of contante betaling op de projectsite.


Ontmoet je organisatie

Tortugas de Pacuare

Fantastisch 4.5 rating (239 beoordelingen)

Agentschap - opgericht in 2012

Geverifieerd door Volunteer World

  Uitstekend Responsgraad

Gepresenteerd door

Luis

Gesproken talen: Spaans, Engels

Over de organisatie

Tortugas de Pacuare is an organization created to protect the most endangered turtles in the world, supported 100% by volunteers.

Ontmoet je organisatie

Why coming as a volunteer to save sea turtles in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has many of the most important beaches in the world for turtle nesting. The government protects some areas, especially national parks, but many important beaches for turtles are unprotected. For this reason we started our project Tortugas de Pacuare and with the help of volunteers around the world. We have been working and saving turtles for more than 12 years now! Without the help of the volunteers, protecting these wonderful animals wouldn't be possible.

The protection of the turtles and the biodiversity of this area is our goal. In order to achieve it, we need the help of international volunteers. You, as a volunteer, should have the willingness to help with tasks that require a close attention. To support our diligent helpers, we create an atmosphere at the Tortugas de Pacuare project that makes them feel like at home. You should have a desire of leaving a mark in a humble village as well as the desire to succeed in the fight for a good cause. 

Our project Tortugas de Pacuare is located 40 km South of Tortuguero in a small town called Barra de Pacuare, an island in the middle of the Caribbean. This makes us one of the most strategic destinations for leatherback turtles, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles, which are some of the most threatened species and are in serious danger of extinction. On the island are living a few people, there are several bars; the closest one is called "Las Machas". There, the volunteers can also buy what they need like shampoo, gel shower etc. or biscuits, cookies, cigarettes, beers etc.

Our vision is to save these turtles by hard work and making a change, not only for the animals, but also for the people, starting with the education of the children of our community.

A lot of reasons can steer a volunteer to take part in a humanitarian project: a cheaper way of travelling or a new experience and a different way of living. The volunteers come to learn about turtles, to improve their Spanish, to live a new experience, to isolate themselves and disconnect themselves from the reality.

We want to make your stay with us as enjoyable as possible, excited to share with you. Your help is necessary to maintain the preservation of sea turtles. Without our patrols, the beach will be vulnerable. We want you to enjoy your experience with us as much as possible.


What does a volunteer need to bring to Pacuare? (packing)

In the following list, you will find objects that you should take with you in order to make your stay in Pacuare more comfortable. This list is also helpful for travelling around Costa Rica.

  • During some hours a day, the wifi is available. However, if you want to assure you an internet access whenever you want, it is better if you by a Costa Rican phone card. Kolbi is the more effective operator on the island, you can recharge it on the island but its efficiency depends on the climatic conditions and the number of devices connected.
  • There are no banks on the island, you need cash (colones).       
  • Put your stuff in plastic bags and remove the air with a straw, it is useful to organize them and if it rains, they will not get wet.
  • Black Crocs with socks (comfortable and appropriate for night patrols).
  • A soap-dish if you use bars of soap (for hygienic reasons).-    
  • Mosquito bed net and mosquito repellent (Off or Relec) in the form of spray, bracelet and patch.
  • A lot of underwear
  • A coat and pants, especially if you come during the rainy season; because, it can be colder.
  • First Aid Kit
  • Cap      
  • Padlock
  • They do not sell hand rolling tobacco in Costa Rica
  • Make a photocopy of your passport and laminate it. Take it with you instead of your passport when you go for a walk or go shopping.
  • Also, you cannot stay more than 90 days in the country without a visa. If you want to stay longer, you will have to leave the country during at least 72 hours.

  Essential:

  • Sunblock
  • Dark clothes for night patrols (lght)
  • Headlamp with red light (you can put a translucent red paper on it)
  • A watch if you are an assistant

Day work

The type of work depends on the period of the year, the number of volunteers and the night work. Sometimes, you will work during a certain amount of hours and sometimes till the end of the task

We try to make the day work as relax as possible because night patrols are tiring. But if a volunteer wants to work on a particular task, which is very important to him, the volunteer must feel free to do it without waiting for staff members’ instructions

  • Clean up the beach: remove organic materials and rubbish which hobble the sea turtles on their way to the beach or hobble the babies to reach the sea
  • Breeding pond: construction of the breeding pond, clean it up, check its condition, take data and watch it during the night
  • Construction of shelter to protect oneself from the rain during the night patrols
  • Night patrols: walking on the beach at night to find sea turtles
  • Housework
  • Maintenance of the garden and construct a kitchen garden and take care of it (harvest)
  • Compost: to dig a hole in order to throw the organic trash inside it
  • Bring the sorted waste to the Coast Guards
  • Wash turtles’ stuff
  • Construct a kitchen garden and take care of it (harvest)

Pastimes

The project has some books and games to entertain oneself and chill out.

  • One-day trip to the mountain, game/quiz night, Latin music class, Spanish class, Hanging out, baking cookies, survival class, caimans tour, cooking class, campfire y marshmallows.
  • The volunteers can also go to the Tortuguero national park or Puerto Viejo during the weekend.

239 beoordelingen · rating4.5

Favio Almeida rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

I highly recommend this program, here you will learn a lot with the coordinator in charge, Robi, he is a person who takes his time to explain to the volunteers about all the wonderful things you can see in this place, Pacuare is nature everywhere, so If you are looking for a place to enjoy nature, ...
Janina Englert rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

I had a wonderful time at the Camp. People are so welcoming, kind and taking care of eachother, especially the camp leader Robbie <3. Although i hadnt the possibility to see turtles becaus of the weather condotions, which is nobodys fault, but i would recommend the camp 100%. I will definitely come ...
Carlota Esponera Avila rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

It has been one of my best experience without any doubt. Robbie & Luke were the best staff making lots of activities with us and always taking care of us. Also the taxis organization was excellent. I highly recommend ...
Carlos Piedra rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

A friend told me about visiting Pacuare, so we decided to pack our bags and go to Costa Rica, from the beginning it is an adventure, traveling through the canals of Tortuguero is an adventure that you will not forget, especially if you do it during the morning, I loved every moment in this beautiful ...
Laura Muñoz rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

During my stay in Pacuare, I was able to learn many things about the place and the incredible amount of nature that you can find here, in addition the staff members will always be attentive to what you need to know, I loved this experience like no other, Pacuare is a place wonderful, I have no ...
Reina Alvarado rating5

2024 at Leatherback Turtle Ambassador

Every experience in Pacuare was new for me, I lived the most adventurous days in my entire life, I met animals that I had never seen before, many by the way, thanks to the knowledge of Robi, an excellent coordinator, we were lucky enough to see the Leatherback turtles , it is an impressive effort ...

Plaats


Misschien ben je ook geïnteresseerd in

Contact Luis
  Uitstekend Responsgraad
Spaans, Engels

De meeste vrijwilligers hebben vragen over


Heb je nog meer vragen? Stuur een bericht naar Luis
Deel alsjeblieft geen persoonlijke contactgegevens