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| Ostional Sea
Turtle Details |
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 The Location
Ostional is a national wildlife refuge located on the
Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste. The remote beach, speckled
with cacti and sweet-smelling frangipani trees, is not
a highly visited tourist destination. It is, however,
densely populated with four species of sea turtles —
the most well-known being the Olive Ridley. Once, sometimes
twice a month, throughout the year, hundreds to thousands
of Olive Ridley turtles land on the beaches at night to
lay their eggs. These mass nestings, called “arribadas,”
are the biggest during the wet season: between June and
January. The beach and surrounding jungle are also home
to Howler monkeys, lizards, parrots, coatmundis and kinkajous.
To the south of the refuge, there is a large mangrove
swamp where 102
bird species have been identified.
The Situation
Female Olive Ridley sea turtles dig a pit in the sand
and may lay more than 100 eggs that hatch 45 to 50 days
later. But only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings reaches
adulthood. Many eggs are destroyed by heat, predators
and other female turtles. Once killed by the thousands
for leather and meat, these turtles remain an endangered
species.
What’s Being Done
This national wildlife refuge was developed two decades
ago to prevent illegal egg poaching, protect baby turtles
and support the community. Through this conservation project,
the people of Ostional are allowed to sell 1 percent of
the eggs laid during the arribadas to help fund schools,
roads and scholarships for low-income students. It is
the only place in the world where people are legally allowed
to harvest turtle eggs. By allowing a portion of eggs
for consumption, the community may help reduce illegal
poaching in other parts of the country.
What You Can Do
As a volunteer for the Sea Turtle Project you will work
directly with the turtles and be involved with their nesting
and hatching. During the night, you will help patrol the
beach and to protect nests from illegal poachers and look
for nesting mother turtles. When you find a turtle you
will mark it,when necessary and help bag the eggs. Some
eggs will be sold; others will be transported to a hatchery
once it is fully constructed. You will gather information
on the egg development and help the baby turtles make
their way back into the sea. Your volunteer work in Costa
Rica will also include building infrastructure and teaching
various classes to the community.
Airport Pickup and Orientation:
Volunteers will be picked up at the San Jose airport by
a local guide and be taken to a hotel or hostel the first
night. The next morning, a taxi will pick you up and take
you to the bus stop to catch the 5 a.m. bus to Nosara.
Once in Nosara, a representative of our local partner
organization will transport you directly to the refuge
and your host family. You will be given an extensive orientation
and learn about living and working in Ostional. You will
meet your project coordinator to discuss details of your
work and your responsibilities as a volunteer.
Transportation:
Volunteers will walk to and from the project site. The
host families generally live between two and six blocks
from the project site.
Accommodations:
We recommended that volunteers stay with host families.
Accommodations can also be made in rustic cabins or rustic
hotels for an additional cost.
 In-Country
Support:
We work directly with our in-country volunteer
coordinator to provide support during your time in Ostional.
You can expect help from project coordinators, field guides,
fellow volunteers and other staff. We provide a 24-hour
cell phone number for emergencies.
Additional Activities and Excursions
Each weekend, different members of the community
will put together activities for the volunteers such as
horseback riding, trips to the river and other beaches,
surfing, shopping trips to Nosara, Latin music dancing,
Spanish lessons and cooking lessons. Other tours or activities
will be available at an additional cost. |
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Volunteer
Adventures - 915 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80246
Phone: 1-888-825-3454 or 303-777-7783 Fax: 303-777-7246 UK Toll
Free: 0800-028-8051 |
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