TRAVEL LIKE YOU CARE! This is an OCEAN EXPERIENCE of a lifetime!
WeVOL is proud to offer a sea turtle conservation project in Costa Rica.This is a MAGICAL OCEAN EXPERIENCE - save sea turtles, catch waves, meet new friends, immerse yourself in the Costa Rican lifestyle, and truly Travel Like You Care!
The Importance
WeVOL has partnered with a governmentally-certified program under the Ministry of the Environment of Costa Rica and Reserva Playa Tortuga. You will be working with passionate local conservationists in an area with many sea turtles laying eggs and problems with poaching and predatory animals while following the guidelines according to Costa Rican mandates.
What Volunteers Will Do
Sea Turtle Conservation
The volunteer team will be joining the conservation project and be involved in the entire turtle hatching process. You will be busy doing nocturnal and early morning patrols, collect eggs, recording data to further the conservation efforts and protection of endangered sea turtles, and building and maintaining the hatchery that will support the healthy germination of baby turtles and their release into the sea. Nests are transported only by the certified team and you will not be able to actually touch the eggs, but will document the number of eggs and species. The nests are monitored 24/7 on 5-6 hour shifts to protect them from poachers and predatory animals. When the eggs hatch, you will assist baby sea turtles to the sea safely and ensure survival rates. You will also help design, build, and maintain the hatchery. The nocturnal and early morning patrol times change daily. The patrols are approximately 2-hour walks and longer when we find nests and turtles.
*Please note: All volunteers must wear dark clothes, close-toed shoes, and be in good physical condition. You cannot use bug repellent and you will get sandy and sweaty. You can only use a red light. This is crucial so please pack accordingly! No alcohol or drugs are allowed!
Surf School
You will join a locally-run and super cool surf company based in Dominical and catch great waves 2 days a week with an incredible team of local bilingual surfers who not only know the waves and surf points, but are also excellent instructors. Surf lessons are for all ability levels and ages. The instructors will lead personalized lessons with a maximum of 3 surfers per instructor and you will be encouraged and motivated to improve and explore local surf points, different board sizes, and truly live the salty surfer lifestyle.
- Beginners surfers will learn the basic of popping up, paddling effectively, and gain the needed muscle memory to improve and catch waves with confidence. As you progress, you will learn how to read the waves - take rights and lefts - how to paddle on your own on a green wave ,and you will get incredibly fit.
- Intermediate & Advanced surfers will have a blast with the local surf team. The surf instructor team will coach you on your paddling , pop up and stance, plus giving you expert advice and feedback to improve as you start to rip on Costa Rican waves. Plus, the surf team will take you on surf safaris to local points and beach breaks - imagine surfing wave after wave with very few surfers in the water. You will feel like a Costa Rican local and truly fine-tune your surfing skills. Get ready to get rip and surf the best waves of your life! SHAKA!
In addition to sea turtle conservation and surfing, our volunteer team works hard to clean and improve the local beach and town area. You can join community-based beach clean-ups and work at the public school to clean and beautify the school, the communal areas, and the town's soccer fields. You will help with cleaning the kitchen, rooms, and common areas and will have breakfast duty 2-3 times/week.
Sea Turtle Typical Seasons
- Laying Eggs: June - November
- Baby Turtles Hatching: August - January
