from 441€

Outstanding 5rating (10)
  • Life Below Water

Sea Turtles and Artisanal Fisheries Monitoring

location
2 - 28 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Outstanding 5  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • You will have direct contact with the wildlife in Brazil in the search for sea turtles in their habitat and captures of them in the water as well as monitoring their interactions with fisherman
  • Also you will discover the natural beauty of the region and its marine animals, including dolphins and whales (july to december).
  • Be able to experience the Brazilian way of life and immerse yourself in its culture.
  • Promote environmental education amongst the locals and build friendships with volunteers from around the world.
  • Learn and develop the different techniques for sea turtle research and live a greener life which we promote and apply as a group.

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Discover different beaches in Santa Catarina (Laguna, Imbituba and Garopaba cities) looking for sea turtles by sigthing points and visiting fisheries coastal communities.

Praia de Itapirubá, Imbituba city, Santa Catarina, presents a beautiful Brazilian landscape of sandy beach and rocky shore, a diversity of coastal and marine species and a welcoming traditional community of artisanal fishermen - perfect setting for an area of ​​aggregation and rest for ...

About the program

Praia de Itapirubá, Imbituba city, Santa Catarina, presents a beautiful Brazilian landscape of sandy beach and rocky shore, a diversity of coastal and marine species and a welcoming traditional community of artisanal fishermen - perfect setting for an area of ​​aggregation and rest for juveniles from green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Since 2010, Projeto Caminho Marinho has been developing conservation and research activities on sea turtles and artisanal fishing in the region. The results of monitoring artisanal fishing influenced the alteration of fishing gear that contributed to the increase in the abundance of sea turtles at Praia de Itapirubá, where a high fidelity by green turtles is recorded.

To assess the long-term abundance of sea turtles, their interaction with the different fishing arts operating in the region and provide this practical experience, the Volunteer Program was designed. Volunteers will be part of the data collection through fixed-point sighting, monitoring the activity of artisanal fishermen in addition to collaborating with different researches through biometrics, epibionts collection, blood and skin sampling, among others.

Typical day

DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES

Volunteers/ leave the base to start activities between 8:00am, return for lunch around 12:00pm, returning activities from 2:00pm until 5pm. Generally the activity days are from Monday to Friday, which include the following activities:

  • Departure from the field to view from ...

Typical day

DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES

Volunteers/ leave the base to start activities between 8:00am, return for lunch around 12:00pm, returning activities from 2:00pm until 5pm. Generally the activity days are from Monday to Friday, which include the following activities:

  • Departure from the field to view from the fixed point;
  • Field trip to monitor the artisanal fishing;
  • Monitoring of sea turtle management;
  • Educational activities in schools;
  • Educational activities on the beach;
  • Care of the Base as organization, cleaning and preparation of collective food. 

During a period of 5-7 days a month, research efforts focus on the intentional capture of green turtles, for the purpose of biometrics, tagging, animal health assessment and collection of different biological samples.

Field work will be limited by climatic conditions and complementary activities with communities, meetings or other types of tasks may be carried out.

Free-time activities

The southern coast of Santa Catarina is one of the most beautiful in Brazil and visiting its beaches is the main attraction on free days. 

Especially from July to December, when right whales visit the coast with their young or to give birth to baby whales.

Free-time activities

The southern coast of Santa Catarina is one of the most beautiful in Brazil and visiting its beaches is the main attraction on free days. 

Especially from July to December, when right whales visit the coast with their young or to give birth to baby whales.

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level) or Portuguese (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

interest in learning, care for the environment and enthusiastic about volunteering

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 08:00 - 18:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Caminho Marinho

The fee includes basic accommodation (shared room), basic food during the stay (3 meals), transportation to technical activities on other beaches, technical support and certificate of participation.
Individual room (single) or hotel accommodation can be supported by Caminho Marinho with the additional costs of the responsibility of the interested volunteer.
As we are far from the nearest airport, we do not pick up volunteers at the airport or bus station. However, we offer full support with partners so that transport between airport and base is safe and comfortable, with costs being paid by the volunteer directly to the service providers.

Accommodation

The volunteers' house is a good house with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen and living room, barbacue area, internet wifi free acess, 100 meters from the beach. It has a microwave, washing machine, TV and stereo. Rooms are shared by up to four/six volunteers per room. 
The volunteers' house is also the base of the Caminho Marinho, being the smallest practical scale for managing an environment (oikos = ecos = house). That's why everyone works collectively for the functioning of the entire house, seeking to prepare food with organic foods and separation of waste (plastic, cans, other metals, paper, glass, batteries and lamps in addition to unavoidable disposal materials).

Food & Beverages

Volunteers are responsible for preparing three basic meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with local products following Brazilian cuisine and those present at the base. 
Breakfast includes bread, cheese, margarine, tapioca, coffee and tea.
Lunch can be something light to support field activities such as a snack or pasta. Dinner (or when possible lunch) consists of rice, beans (Brazilian tradition), eggs, salad and some type of cooked vegetable. The culture of reducing meat consumption is respected, with meat being included in the menu at special events. 
Drinks are not included but the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages is allowed throughout the day and alcoholic beverages are allowed after the end of individual obligations.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Airport Pickup at Hercilio Luz International Airport

An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Hercilio Luz International Airport (FLN) in Florianopolis. We assist you to find cheap flights to Brazil. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Brazil provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Brazil you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Brazil. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

The Caminho Marinho in Santa Catarina is located 150 km from Florianópolis, on Itapirubá Beach, Imbituba, where it develops research and conservation activities throughout the year, adapted to each season of the year and its peculiarities, reducing its activities during the end of the year holidays (December 18th to January 2).

Summer (December to April) is a period of high temperatures, strong sun and many tourists following the sea turtle monitoring activities and providing environmental education activities. From May to July, the activities of artisanal fishing and beach trawling are a spectacle on their own, when our team monitors the activity and registers the animals that are caught in the fishing, from one to 40 green turtles per net set (set net ), all alive, which are released back into the sea after carrying out the technical procedures.

From August to November, attention is divided between sea turtles, anchovy fishing and the arrival of right whales that use the area for reproduction and nursery.

In view of the multiple activities proposed by the Caminho Marinho, we recommend that the volunteer stay at least a month in order to participate in the main research and conservation activities proposed by the Project.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 441€
3 weeks 608€
4 weeks 774€
5 weeks 911€
6 weeks 1,058€
7 weeks 1,196€
8 weeks 1,333€
9 weeks 1,470€
10 weeks 1,607€
11 weeks 1,725€
12 weeks 1,842€
13 weeks 1,950€
19 weeks 2,048€
28 weeks (max. stay) 3,518€
Average fees 172€/week

Program fees

172€ per week 2 - 28 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

2 - 28 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Caminho Marinho during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

Caminho Marinho

Outstanding 5 rating (10 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2010

Verified by Volunteer World

  Good response rate

Coordinated by

Thayana

Spoken languages: English

About the project

The Caminho Marinho is an initiative that aims to connect Research, Extension and Teaching as the way for the sea turtles conservation and sustainable use of resources.

Meet your organization

Caminho Marinho is a marine conservation nonprofit in Brazil focused on protecting sea turtles “in water” and preserving their feeding areas through hands-on conservation programs in 3 different brazilian beaches. Join us, help the sea turtles´ research and travel across brazilian south coast following the sea turtles!

 

  • Who We Are

Caminho Marinho team has been sharing our passion for sea turtles and artisanal fisheries culture with volunteers from around the world for over 12 years. The Volunteering Caminho Marinho opportunities are a unique opportunity to learn about the sea turtles, travel across Brazil and to help protect and conserve thie coastal and marine environment.


  • Our History

Since 2010, Caminho Marinho is an initiative that develops research, teaching and extension in important feeding areas for sea turtles in Brazil, places where sea turtles can stay for 20 to 50 years. 

 

  • Our Mission

Our mission is to promote the conservation of sea turtles under an ecosystem approach, that is, to seek the individual health of sea turtles in coastal environments, valuing the ecological sustainability of the areas, recognizing the need for economic viability, but always promoting social justice.

 

  • Our Goals

Our main objective is to assess the abundance of sea turtles in feeding and development areas and the individual health of these animals, accompanied by students and volunteers in training, and sharing the main results with the local and general community. Each site with its scenic beauty, community involvement and problems in which sea turtles suffer from human actions. 

The role of the volunteer is fundamental for the uninterrupted proposition of activities to monitor the abundance and density of sea turtles and their potential interaction with artisanal fishing communities, working mainly in the sighting of sea turtles from fixed historically monitored points.

The volunteer participates in environmental education activities organized in our carnival block rhythm of the sea, which proposes musical and artistic education activities with discarded materials to promote a carnival block that shares the proposals and ideals of environmental conservation. Therefore, different workshops are proposed weekly, such as for the production of costumes, painting of costumes, production of musical instruments, musical performance, in addition to visits to important conservation areas. The block has its peak moment in the carnival parade during this important Brazilian holiday.

Become a Caminho Marinho volunteer and participate in the training promoted through lectures by the main researchers who lead the current research of our institute, and guests from important partner institutions in Brazil and worldwide.

 

  • Why Choose Us?

More than an accommodation, Base do Caminho Marinho seeks to be, in practice, the environment is the harmonious system with activities shared among all, always seeking ecologically sustainable, economically viable and socially fair strategies, developing the main practices that are friendly to the environment.

10 reviews · rating5

Holly Crawford rating5

2021 at In-Water Sea turtle Conservation

To sum it up- Caminho Marinho is a little piece of heaven. To say more, there wasn’t anything that I didn’t love. As a 50+ year old volunteer from the USA that had no experience with long term volunteer commitment (+1 month), no real knowledge of sea turtles and sadly unprepared to converse ...
It was an amazing experience, i will always have those days inside do my heart. Everybody in Caminho Marinho are super cool and super attentive. I could spent a lot of time in this place. I’m so thankful for all the knowledge they shared with me ...
Maria Luiza Leal de Paula rating5

2019 at In-Water Sea turtle Conservation

Caminho Marinho helped me to understand what it feels like to work into marine conservation, in a group that loves what they do. My volunteer experience in Caminho Marinho is a huge part of my formation in Biological Sciences, and it makes me love even more what I’m doing. In Rio Grande we can ...
Valentin Milet rating5

2019 at In-Water Sea turtle Conservation

You will arrive in a wonderful country with an amazing team. All Caminho Marinho crews are so nice and interesting. Doing a social journey with them is a great way to learn many things about Brazil, the ocean, turtles and to discover a new culture and maybe a new part of you. To conclude, it's the ...
Thayana Gião rating5

2018 at In-Water Sea turtle Conservation

Volunter on Caminho Marinho - Conservation of sea turtles in Brazil The Caminho Marinho project develops activities focused on conservation and research on sea turtles that live in Praia do Cassino. Its main activities are: intentional capture of sea turtles, monitoring of the current fishing in ...
Maria Luiza Leal de Paula rating5

2018 at In-Water Sea turtle Conservation

Caminho Marinho helped me to understand what it feels like to work into marine conservation, in a group that loves what they do. My volunteer experience in Caminho Marinho is a huge part of my formation in Biological Sciences, and it makes me love even more what I’m doing. In Rio Grande we can ...

Location

Americas > South America > Brazil > Imbituba

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Contact Thayana
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