Application fee: US $189

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Location

Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

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About

In conjunction with beach-based conservation work, volunteers undertake boat trips to monitor and research sea turtle, dolphin, and whale populations in
the local marine area. A willing volunteer workforce is critical to completing the many tasks and ambitious goals of this program. The primary role of the participant is to help with night patrols for eggs in shifts of 4 hours.

 

Other important tasks include cleaning of the sanctuary, cleaning of the beach, and maintenance of the nursery, including helping create turtle nests, watching over the turtle eggs, collecting important data on turtles, and helping in a variety of projects needed for the development and continuation of the conservation project.

 

They will also help with dolphin and whale monitoring in the area by participating in boat excursions with a marine biology researcher. The participants will receive a first-hand demonstration of how important data is collected from observing these animals and used to assist in their conservation efforts. Researchers select a specific area to monitor and stop every 30 minutes to record the GPS location, water temperature (using a specialized thermometer), whether dolphins/whales are present, how many animals there are, and notes about their behavior(whether the animals are feeding, playing, etc.).