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Starting at just $727 for a complete, one-week itinerary!

Our Pacuare Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Project is for volunteers of all ages seeking to experience a true community-based Costa Rican sea turtle conservation project. At Pacuare, we work with Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles which are all listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At our rescue center, we seek to not only protect the nesting females and their babies, but also help injured turtles and confiscated turtles brought to us by the police to regain their strength for a life in the ocean. The data taken from nesting females by monitoring and tagging them improves our understanding of their nesting behavior and migration routes which helps coordinate our worldwide conservation efforts. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to help out in all daily activities which include data collection, protection of sea turtle eggs, hatchery shifts and beach cleanups. Volunteers are critical to ensure preservation of sea turtle populations!

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhSY6c4b6ac[/youtube]

 

Volunteer Responsibilities

The main work of the volunteers at our Pacuare Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Project, is to assist the staff with the data collection and egg protection of the sea turtles.

Typical volunteer responsibilities include:
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  • Patrol beaches at night to identify nesting female turtles, document key information and relocate eggs to keep safe from poachers.
  • Conduct hatchery shifts, including taking care of the hatchery nests, making sure predators and tourists are kept out, taking nest temperatures and measurements, and releasing newborn hatchlings.
  • Clean the beach to ensure it’s clean for turtle nesting.

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Volunteers can expect to work 6-8 hours a day, with Sundays off.

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Volunteers at this project will stay in one of the several shared-space volunteer cabins. Cabins have shared bathrooms and are usually divided by sex, however families and groups can share the same cabin, depending on availability. Three meals per day are included for every person for this sea turtle volunteering in Costa Rica.

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Volunteers will live near the mouth of the Pacuare river, near the Caribbean coast, just south of Tortuguero. This project is situated in an incredibly beautiful part of the country and is only accessible by boat.

 

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  • Age: Minimum age for children not traveling with a parent or guardian is 18 (or 16 with parent permission and an exception from our Director).
  • Participants: Individuals, groups and families are welcome.
  • Length: Minimum – 1 week (exceptions can be made for groups); Maximum – unlimited.

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No trip is complete without experiencing the local surroundings. Available excursions for this program include, but are not limited to, the following:

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  • Tortuguero National Park
  • Puerto Viejo
  • Limon
  • Canopy / zip-line
  • Sea kayaking
  • River rafting
  • Indigenous tours
  • Jaguar rescue center
  • Cahuita National Park
  • Gandoca / Manzanillo National Park
  • Spanish lessons

Contact us for more details.
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$727 USD / one week

$956 USD / two weeks

 

Includes:

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  • Airport pick-up by Tropical Adventures driver / guide
  • One-night stay in a San Jose area hostel (free breakfast and WiFi included)
  • Transportation to our San Jose office for your orientation
  • Transportation to bus station
  • Public bus to Bataan (our driver will help you get on the correct bus and a staff member will be waiting for you as you get off the bus)
  • Taxi and Boat ride to project
  • Accommodations in our Volunteer Lodge
  • 3 meals per day while at project
  • Taxi and Boat ride from project to Bataan
  • Last night stay in a San Jose area hostel (free breakfast and WiFi included)
  • Transportation to the airport for your flight
  • Country information and orientation
  • Sea Turtle Volunteer Manual
  • Project training and in-country support
  • Assistance with planning excursions and activities
  • Reference letter of evidence of volunteer service hours
  • 24 hour in-country emergency service

 

Options:

  • Upgrade to Private, English-speaking driver (round-trip) in air conditioned vehicle instead of public bus = add $250
  • Upgrade to a very comfortable 3-½ – star hotel with WiFi, pool, restaurant, bar, tropical breakfast for the 2 nights in San Jose = add $150
  • Upgrade to a really nice 4- star hotel with WiFi, pool, award-winning restaurant, bar for the 2 nights in San Jose = add $379

 

Additional Options:

  • Most of our volunteer individuals, families and groups add on tours and extra days for travel to either one of our beautiful beaches, a volcano area or cloud forest. Our experienced travel coordinators will be glad to help customize the perfect itinerary for you.
  • Please be aware we can combine projects, as well as create specialized itineraries that include less than one week of volunteering – in addition to tours and adventure!

 

Please Contact Us for more information and for your personalized quote!

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Click here to compare to other programs and more information about pricing.

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