Your placement is with a non-profit organisation that is committed to the protection of sea turtles throughout Greece. The established organisation has been in existence for almost 40 years, making it one of the oldest and most experienced of its kind. To protect the reptiles, the organisation relies on three pillars: Monitoring the turtles for research purposes, rescuing and caring for injured animals in its own sanctuaries, and educating local residents and tourists. Every year, the non-profit organisation is supported in its work by countless volunteers from all over the world. You'll work with wildlife experts and veterinarians to protect the turtles on the Mediterranean Sea.

Due to mass tourism, environmental pollution and the destruction of natural areas, more and more turtle habitats are being lost. And fisheries and climate change are also taking their toll on the animals. The result: six out of seven existing sea turtle species worldwide are now threatened with extinction. This makes the reptiles one of the most endangered species of all. This makes it even more important to do something quickly to protect them. In Europe, the eastern Mediterranean region around your place of work is of particular importance. This is where the main breeding grounds of many turtle species are located.

The aim of the organisation is to better research the turtles in order to be able to protect the nests, (young) animals and biotopes more effectively. Furthermore, another aim of the project is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release as many injured or sick animals as possible back into their natural habitat. In order to improve the situation of the sea turtles in the long term, it is important to raise awareness among the local population and tourists on Crete.

Your volunteer work place is located in the south of the Aegean Sea. Crete is the largest Greek island. It offers breathtakingly beautiful nature with high mountains and wild gorges. The island is like a small version of the Greek mainland. You will find beautiful villages, big cities and mountains. Due to the cultivation of aromatic herbs, the scent of thyme, sage and oregano is in the air. Crete's agriculture is mainly used for wine, olive and fruit growing and you can admire vines and olive trees everywhere. The island combines the old with the new, the mountains with the sea and it is now considered as one of the most popular European travel destinations.