Volunteer Abroad with Turtles: Save the Turtles

Get involved in wildlife conservation and support conservation efforts to save endangered sea turtles. As a volunteer in one of our turtle projects in Central American and Southern Africa you get the chance to actively contribute to protecting and preserving these fascinating reptiles and, in this way, to spend and unforgettable time abroad, characterized by your commitment to animal protection and species conservation.

What is unique about sea turtles?

Sea turtles are distributed all over the world’s tropical and subtropical waters, deep in the ocean or in coastal areas. During nesting season, they return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs – to do so, they often cover an incredible distance, swimming thousands of miles across the ocean. There are numerous obstacles for hatchlings, weighing only 20 grams, that only about one in 1000 survives to adulthood.

As some of the oldest vertebrates on earth, turtles – both on land and in the ocean – live on earth for around 200 million years. They can adapt to shifting circumstances and were able to defy all kinds of challenges in the course of earth history.

Why should we save sea turtles?

But the era of humans weighs heavy on these fascinating creatures which have been tough enough to survive dinosaurs. Climate change, environmental pollution, habitat loss and poaching have driven them to the brink of extinction. More than 60% of all turtle species are considered as critically endangered.

Particularly when they return to the beach to lay their eggs, the animals and their nests face severe threats. During nesting season, it is quite easy for poachers to kill the adult turtles for their meat or carapaces and to steal and sell the eggs which are considered a gourmet food in many places. But also habitat destruction due to the construction of hotels or other economic projects as well as (plastic) pollution of oceans and beaches play their part in the shrinking of turtle populations.

Sea turtle rescue: Not only for the sake of the turtles themselves but also because of their important role in healthy ecosystems, extensive conservation measures for these wonderful animals are indispensable. Helping turtles, either as part of a sea turtle volunteer vacation or as an entire gap year in Costa Rica or the Seychelles – as part of a sea turtle sanctuary / hatchery or monitoring program: Natucate gives you the chance to join fascinating conservation volunteer programs and to become active as a sea turtle volunteer. Learn more about our sea turtle rescue programs.

How to save the turtles

Sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica and the Seychelles: By supporting our turtle projects in Africa and Central America you make an important contribution to researching, protecting and therefore conserving endangered sea turtles. Together with volunteers from all over the world you patrol the beach, looking for turtle nests, guarding them and to help the hatchlings getting safely into the ocean. To make findings that can be used to enable artificial breeding grounds to be improvised at more suitable locations, you also dedicate yourself to collecting data on turtle nests. Moreover, cleaning beach areas and helping with various renaturation tasks belong to your work as a sea turtle conservation volunteer in Africa and Central America – this way, you support the recovery and preservation of the turtles’ natural habitat.

Join one of our turtle projects as a volunteer, help save the sea turtles in Costa Rica and the Seychelles and experience an incomparable time abroad.