Costa Rica Leatherback Turtle Volunteer Trip
Highlights
- Work hands on with leatherback sea turtles and hatchlings
- Explore the rainforest
- Visit a butterfly farm
Overview
Experience four nights at a research station on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast, working with giant leatherback sea turtles. Your tasks will include walking the nesting beach at night, measuring the turtles, collecting their eggs and relocating them to hatcheries, and caring for hatchlings later in the season. During the day, relax on the beach or in a hammock, join a beach cleanup, explore the station’s turtle museum, or search for wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, butterflies, and birds.
Your group will have a trained bilingual guide and private transportation. The group will stay in a remote rustic research station with shared bathrooms (one bathroom for two rooms). Participants will share rooms with one other person and individual travelers may be able to have their own room depending on space at the station.
- Day 1 - Arrive to Costa Rica
Arrive anytime and our shuttle will pick you up and transfer you to La Rosa de America, a beautiful small family-run hotel outside of San Jose (about 15 minute drive). Get a good night's sleep and meet in the morning for your adventure. No meals included today.
- Day 2 - Transfer to Caribbean Coast
Today, you’ll journey to the Caribbean coast to stay at a secluded research station nestled in the rainforest. Start your day with a Costa Rican breakfast buffet featuring eggs, gallo pinto (a local rice and beans dish), fresh tropical fruit, delicious coffee, and more. After breakfast, board a private bus for a four-hour ride to the coast, passing through the country’s largest national park before descending into the Caribbean lowlands.
At the coast, your bus will drop you off at a small dock along the Tortuguero canals, where a boat will be waiting to transport you to the research station. Enjoy a scenic boat ride through the rainforest, keeping an eye out for monkeys, sloths, toucans, and other wildlife. Once you arrive and settle into your cabin, researchers will present an overview of their decade-long efforts to protect the nesting beach. After dinner, embark on your first night of turtle patrol, guided by researchers who will help you spot turtles and assist with data collection. All meals included.
- Day 3 - Turtle Research
For the next three nights, you’ll dedicate four hours each evening to walking the nesting beach in search of giant leatherback turtles. When a leatherback is nesting, you'll first notice their massive tracks, resembling those of a monster truck. Research tasks include measuring the turtles’ length and width (a significant effort given their size), relocating eggs to a hatchery for protection until they hatch, and examining the turtles for any scars or injuries. From mid-May to June, you’ll also have the opportunity to work with hatchlings, measuring and weighing them before releasing them into the water. Green turtles may occasionally nest later in the season as well.
During the day, you’ll have ample time to rest, read, or stroll along the beach. Note that swimming is not recommended due to strong ocean currents. Planned daytime activities include a boat ride along the rainforest canals to spot wildlife such as birds, sloths, monkeys, and caimans, as well as a beach cleanup to address the litter that washes ashore, even on remote beaches. All meals included.
- Day 4 - Turtle Research
Daytime activities including a canal boat tour, beach cleanups, and hatchling releases (if hatchlings are present). This evening will be the third night of patrolling the nesting beach. All meals included.
- Day 5 - Turtle Reseach
Final day at the research station. Daytime activities including a canal boat tour, beach cleanups, and hatchling releases (if hatchlings are present). This evening will be the fourth night of patrolling the nesting beach. All meals included.
- Day 6 - Butterfly Farm & Return to San Jose
After breakfast this morning, you’ll take the boat back to meet your bus. On the way to San José, you’ll visit Jardin Pierella, a distinctive butterfly farm where you’ll explore the world of these captivating insects and other wildlife. Expect to see hundreds of butterflies, poison dart frogs, giant walking sticks, and possibly sloths among other creatures. The warm family running the farm will prepare a delicious traditional lunch for you.
Afterward, enjoy a final group dinner in town before heading to bed early. You’ll need to rise early the next day to catch your flight. Overnight accommodation will be at La Rosa del América. All meals included.
- Day 7 - Depart or extend your stay
Your shuttle will take you to the airport in plenty of time for your flight home. Or stay longer and explore other parts of this beautiful country.
- In-country transport, meals as noted, lodging, activities, guides, and a donation to turtle conservation.
- Airfare to Costa Rica, personal items, tips for the guide and driver, and meals as noted
Important Information
SEE Turtles offers adventurous trips for those seeking an off-the-beaten-path experience. Costa Rica, known for its safety and stunning landscapes, attracts over 1 million international tourists each year. This trip takes you to the remote and rustic Las Tortugas Research Station for four nights. It’s an active adventure requiring physical fitness and the ability to handle challenging conditions such as heat, weather, and insects, as well as a schedule that may disrupt sleep.
The station operates on limited solar-powered electricity, so expect no air conditioning or hot water. There is no access to Wi-Fi or cell phone service, and meals are simple and basic, though vegetarian options are available.