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. 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!
What sets this project apart from other sea turtle projects? It’s in an extremely remote area, only accessible by a 1-hour boat ride. It sits near the estuary where the Pacuare River meets the Caribbean Sea. That means lots of quiet time in nature, and lots of biodiversity. You’ll really have time to get to know the staff and other volunteers while you are with us here.
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:
- 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.