Programs Abroad

COSTA RICA – Sea Turtle Protection, Area Pacuare

	Project: Wildlife and Nature Booking Nº: CR118 Country: Costa Rica + Location: Pacuare, Province Limón Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Start dates: all year round Price: from 2 weeks, 995 USD
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Task

Patrolling along the beaches at night
Observing sea turtle's behavior
Participating in studies and data collection of sea turtles
Excavating turtle's nests
Relocating turtle eggs to incubators at the research station
Recording collected data

In the program, volunteers will support a project that devotes itself to the protection of nesting sea turtles in the Limón province of Costa Rica. This region forms part of the Pacuare Conservation Area on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. While working in this project, you will observe and study these rare sea turtles and their behavior on the beautiful Caribbean beaches.

Baula turtles arrive between February and October while Lora turtles are present between July and October on the region's beaches where they go to lay their eggs. For this reason, volunteers are needed throughout the year to observe and help protect the turtles in the conservation program on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

During your volunteer work you will have the opportunity to approach the amazing turtles and admire their beautiful shells that can reach up to 1,600 pounds. Each sea turtle needs to be examined and measured by volunteers and biologists who then record the data. Volunteers also assist in collecting the turtle eggs and keeping them in incubators in order to protect them until the baby turtles hatch after 45 to 60 days. They are then released under strict supervision by the project team, to protect the eggs from wild animals and poachers, thereby assisting the population growth in the Caribbean Sea.

Accommodation

Volunteer House
Dormitory style bedrooms
3 meals per day

Every effort is made to provide volunteers with comfortable accommodations in Costa Rica. Volunteers are accommodated together in a small housing complex that is directly in the National Park. The houses are furnished simply but comfortably and contain shared bedrooms as well as a fully-equipped kitchen and bathrooms. There is no electricity, but gas lamps are used for light. Volunteers usually cook their meals together with gas powered appliances.

Note: Depending on your arrival day, the program includes between one and three overnight stays in a single room with a Host Family (half board) or in a hostel in San José.

Requirements

Language:
Functional Spanish skills (language courses can be booked through us)

Skills:
No professional skills or experience is required.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
Not required. Please consult us and your doctor for specific recommendations.

Insurance:
Full travel and medical insurance is required. You can purchase a full coverage, no deductible health and travel insurance at a special rate for our participants by contacting your South America Inside representative.

Visa:
Tourist visa valid for 90 days. For further information regarding visa requirements please contact us and the corresponding embassy or consulate in your home country.

Details

During your volunteer work you will support this turtle protection project in the Conservation Area of Pacuare. This area is situated in the province of Limón and extends over 800 hectares of rainforest and 6 kilometers of beach. Pacuare is located directly on the Caribbean Sea, about 25 kilometers away from the city of Limón.

The Conversation Area aims to protect the rare Baula and Lora sea turtles from extinction as they are endangered in today's marine world. In Costa Rica, conservation of the precious flora and fauna of the country is a concern of not only the local people, but of international tourists and scientists as well.

Volunteers will support a team of biologists in observing nesting sea turtles, watching the nests, excavating the eggs and keeping them in incubators. After 45 to 60 days, volunteers will help the biologists reintroduce the hatchlings into the wild. In addition to recording data about the turtles, volunteers will also record environmental conditions like the temperature and the amounts of precipitation. The project needs to accumulate as much information possible about the sensitive ecosystem to be able to protect the turtles. Volunteers should be flexible to carry out a wide range of tasks during the volunteer work at the National Park.
In addition to the sea turtles, Pacuare is home to over twenty species of mammals, many different types of reptiles as well as approximately 200 species of birds. The National Park lies right in the middle of a huge area of protected rainforest. The main forms of transportation are small boats that allow visitors to pass to other areas.

Before starting the program, volunteers will participate in a short introductory seminar in order to learn about the project, the tasks and the National Park itself. In this introduction, volunteers will learn all of the necessary information to be able to successfully carry out the tasks in protecting the sea turtles from extinction. Volunteers also have the unique opportunity to get to know many other volunteers from different countries allowing them to share wonderful experiences in a biologically diverse and exciting country.

mapa_pacuare

Source: Google Maps

Prices

Program Duration	in USD
2 weeks	995.-
3 weeks	1,340.-
4 weeks	1,685.-
Additional week	315.-

Registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
3 meals / day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number
Airport pick-up
Volunteer Work Placement
Certificate of participation

What’s not included:

Flight
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Local Travels

Country

Country information Costa Rica

Costa Rica stands as one of the smallest countries in Central America with approximately 19,000 square miles and a coastline of 810 miles. The country borders Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south and the Pacific and Caribbean Sea on either side. Costa Rica is home to 4.5 million people with upwards of 350,000 people living in the capital city of San Jose.

The Costa Rican climate is commonly humid and warm year round, although temperatures in the highlands are typically colder and cloudier. Incredibly, 23% of an already small amount of densely populated land remains protected territory by National Parks and/or private reserves. This protected land is home and host to a wide variety of exotic plants, animals, and social and environmental projects to ensure the protection and conservation of the tropical habitat. When walking the streets of Costa Rica, make sure to ask Costa Ricans, who typically know heaps, about their national treasures.

Further, Costa Rica is the most politically stable country in Central America, with a disbanded army for more than sixty years and a relatively high standard of education. Tourism is one of the main economic income sources for Costa Rica. With over 2 million tourists exploring Costa Rica each year, the country stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region. Through eco-tourism programs, (which CR was one of the first countries offering this type of tourism), a variety of activities, and year round tropical weather, the country attracts tourists from all over the world.

Aside from protected land, the true jewels of Costa Rica are the surrounding islands with serene beaches and breath-taking nature. This country offers beautiful landscapes for dream vacations of beach lounging, surfing, snorkeling, hiking volcanoes, zip-lining, rafting, bird watching, fishing, and exploring rain forests.

The dry season of Costa Rica is between December and April, though like most Latin countries, schools are closed, beaches full and finding last minute hotels may be tricky. A second peak season arrives with the Europeans and North Americans during June and July. As the off-season arrives in May, so does the lush green vegetation with the rainy season. Lastly, Costa Rica encompasses year round possibilities for surfers, fishing enthusiasts and wildlife lovers alike. Depending on what coast you want to surf, what fish you want to catch and what bird you hope to see, there are variations on ideal months to further research.

Finally, Costa Rica is a perfect place to learn Spanish, as the Spanish spoken here is typically slow without strong accents and layers of slang. The Costa Ricans are very friendly, energetic and always with a smile!