Sea Turtle Protecter

The region is home to one of the most important breeding sites for sea turtles at the Pacific Coast in Panama. On the beaches of the reserve you can observe four different sea turtle species. The most common species is the ridley turtle. In addition, the hawksbill sea turtle, the green sea turtle and the leatherback turtle come to lay their eggs on the beaches of the reserve.

The aim of the project is to protect the endangered sea turtle species. In addition to protecting the egg-laying sites, a very important part of the work is contributed to environmental education efforts with local communities. Greater awareness must be achieved in regards to the preservation and protection of these unique animals and their habitat.

The volunteer project runs from May to February which is more or less the nesting season of the sea turtles at the beaches on the Pacific Coast in Panama. Volunteers who arrive in May help with the construction of breeding grounds and the cleaning of the beach and the surrounding areas. From around June, the patrols on the beaches start in order to observe turtles as they lay their eggs. 

During June to February the main tasks for the volunteers is to monitor the sea turtle species that come to the beaches. Volunteers and local staff observe and register their habits and behavior as well as the amount of eggs. The main egg-laying season is from June to the end of December, with the high season being August to September. 

In order to assure the growth of the sea turtle population in the Pacific Ocean, a part of the sea turtles eggs needs to be protected from natural predators and illegal theft by humans as turtle eggs are traded as delicacies. So, some of the turtle eggs are collected by the volunteers and kept in incubators. The hatching period is about 45-60 days. Afterwards, the very cute baby turtles are released into their natural habitat, the Pacific Ocean.

During the high season volunteers mainly start to work in the afternoon, since beach patrols take place after dark. Volunteer always go in groups, never alone. During the day, the volunteers help with environmental education projects for the residents of the region. Also, volunteers need to monitor the nests on the beach and collect washed up rubbish on the beaches in order to keep the nesting grounds of the sea turtles clean.

We would like to point out that mother nature is unpredictable and we cannot give any guarantee about the number of sea turtles for a certain period of participation.

Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as the number of volunteers, time of year, weather, current needs of the project and self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.

Panama's capital, Panama City, with its skyscrapers and modern buildings is around 6 hours away by car.

From a tourist point of view, Panama is still rather unknown, but for no reason. The country has an incredible amount to offer in terms of landscape, history and culture - breathtaking nature, diverse flora and fauna, fantastic national parks, an active culture of the indigenous population, sports facilities on water and on land as well as the world-famous Panama Canal in the heart of the pulsating metropolis Panama City - just to mention a few of the attractions that Panama has to offer.