Next start date available: Jun 19, 2023. The department's website is www.800helpfla.com. April, 5, 2023 @ 5:30 PM. February to August. We will have lunch at a local restaurant nearby. The temperature will be hot (high 80's to low 90's) with humidity but all accommodations offer air conditioning, as well as our private vehicle. The Discover Puerto Rico Incentive Sales Team can help you find the perfect volunteer opportunity for your group. After breakfast, we will visit the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, where we will do a tour and visit the manatees, sea turtles, and other wildlife that this facility is rehabilitating. We will make it a shorter patrol so we can get up early for the drive inland the following day. Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources seeks volunteers annually from April through June to monitor the nests, make sure they are secured from predators, and count eggs. Participants can also learn surfing and go ziplining during their time in Costa Rica, making it a great mix of volunteering and fun. Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa, Snorkeling Tour to Cayos de la Cordillera, Puerto Ricos best horse riding locations, where to go whale watching in Puerto Rico, Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa, Where To See Turtles In Gran Canaria Complete Guide, Where To See Manatees In Puerto Rico 2023 Guide, Where To Swim With Dolphins In Puerto Rico 2023 Guide. Volunteer in Costa Rica This park is the most important area in the entire west half of the Caribbean for the nesting of the green turtle.Volunteers participate on the sea turtle preservation including monitoring and registering nesting patterns, record keeping of eggs, moving eggs to the hatchery, beach patrols, freeing of the newborns to the ocean. Well return to the hotel mid-afternoon to rest up for a full day and long night tomorrow. E-mail:info@posada.com. Was this page helpful? Volunteers have played an important role in Oceanic Society's work since our founding in 1969, and we invite you to lend your hand as a volunteer with one of our programs. Show more, You can witness baby turtles hatching in Puerto Rico during the months of May to August. The best way to see the sea turtles at the Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve is to get in the water and join a kayaking and snorkeling tour. B, L, D indicates the meals provided each day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Desecheo is a small, uninhabited island that is a National Wildlife Refuge and a prime location for scuba diving and snorkeling. Larger leatherback and green turtles prefer to lay eggs on the beaches of the island of Culebra, which still has many isolated spots, like Zoni, Resaca, and Brava. As an environmental volunteer with IVHQ, you'll have the opportunity to support jungle and rainforest conservation, climate action, environmental education, sustainable cities, coastline conservation, organic farming and tree planting volunteer projects within communities abroad. The only downside to this place is that its basically impossible to get to alone so you will need to join a tour. Donations from our group to Chelonia and the Puerto Rico Chapter of Sierra Club, our conservation partners. Turtles lay eggs a few times during the same season in the sand as deep as 3.3 feet (1 m). We will then a have farewell dinner with the group in the city followed by an optional night on the town. A great introduction to marine turtle monitoring. The Oceanic Society is a registered organization. Proceeds from the program fees go back toward conservation with the potential for up to 500 turtle hatchlings per participant to be saved at nesting sites. Prior to the fence, 44 to 100 percent of sea turtle nests were destroyed every year due to feral pigs. Discover the beauty of Puerto Rico from the sea. Depending on the amount of time you wish to donate, where you want to volunteer with sea turtles, and the amount of adventure youre looking to endure, there are options that can satisfy any traveler. Since 1988, wildlife workers have often enlisted volunteers to help monitor and protect the breeding grounds of the majestic leather-back turtle. Certificate of CompletionEvery traveler participating in the trip receives a Certificate of Completion from Discovery Expeditions. The group can split into two with one group walking further down the beach, Overnight at Parador El Faro (2 nights). So much gratitude for you your patience, grace, skill, and spirit. Contact us today to start planning. Youll be able to swim right alongside the sea turtles which is definitely an experience you wont forget. Add to wishlist. Taking a sabbatical was the best decision of my life. Participate in turtle research and more in Puerto Rico with SEE Turtles. Our volunteer vacations offer hands-on opportunities for you to participate in marine research and conservation worldwide. Another great place to see sea turtles in Puerto Rico is at the Cabezas de San Juan NatureReserve in Fajardo. Evening group dinner and briefing with local research partners. Mona Island supports the largest Hawksbill Sea Turtle (ESA Endangered) nesting ground in the Caribbean. The famous Caribbean trade winds gently buffet these two islands, but the weather is warm and balmy just about every day of the year. There are many other organizations your team can volunteer with in Puerto Rico, including United Way, Habitat for Humanitys Puerto Rico Chapter, Americas for Conservation + the Arts, and Flamboyn Arts Fund. Heres a few other ways to see the turtles at Escambron Beach: Snorkeling with turtles in Puerto Rico is definitely an experience you wont forget so its really worth booking your tour online in advance. POSADA La Hamaca. These two rooms have a shared bathroom. We will see lots of sea turtles in a variety of ways, on nesting beaches, in the water, and more. The high season here runs from March to November, but they have important work happening year-round if youd like to visit in the winter. This area is known for its bioluminescence, which makes for a magical experience. Show more, Yes, there are guided tours available for seeing baby turtles in Puerto Rico. One of the most significant benefits is the opportunity to make a real impact. During peak nesting season, we expect (but cannot guarantee) to see leatherback sea turtles. Each species is endangered to a greater or lesser degree, and volunteers are essential to sea turtle conservation around the world. In Puerto Rico, you can do more than just go and see those beautiful reptiles, but also help conservation efforts that are especially critical during the hatching period. Biodiversity Amigos de las Tortugas Marinas (ATMAR), a community-based turtle conservation organization in Puerto Rico, is seeking volunteers to assist with monitoring leatherback and hawksbill turtles during the 2018 nesting season (May to August): In the afternoon, we will have an optional snorkel to explore the areas coral reefs and look for hawksbills and other ocean wildlife. After breakfast at your hotel, well travel to the Fajardo region to hike in cool and mountainous El Yunque Rain Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service ecosystem. Dramatic sea cliffs make the Royal Isabela Golf Course one of the most scenic in Puerto Rico. Crespo expects at least 4,000 baby tinglares - as the black and white-spotted turtles are known in Puerto Rico - to hit the ocean this year. Volunteers And volunteering is a fantastic teambuilding activity! The following day will include training on how to monitor coral reefhealth and search for the presence of coral diseases within the reserve. Volunteer Reservations: 1-877-77CORAL (1-877-772-6725), 787-742-0068 The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico manages the Sea Turtle Conservation Project on the island of Culebra. Well then venture a very short distance to The Arecibo Observatory, the site of the worlds largest single-dish radio telescope. Escambron Beach Hands down, the absolute best place to swim with sea turtles in Puerto Rico is at Escambron Beach in Guaynabo, San Juan. I always use Viator to book my tours as theyre super reliable and have never let me down yet! From April through June, wildlife fans can volunteer for a turtle-egg protection project on Culebra. This project collects important biological information on turtles returning to Culebra's beaches to nest. adult turtle lay her eggs! So why not take the plunge and sign up for a marine conservation program today? GLA offers a number of different service-learning opportunities, and one of their best is the Sea Turtle Initiative. We will visit Casa Pueblo, which is a wonderful community project that has created a community solar project, a local radio program, and a protected forest. We will also participate in volunteer activities restoring beach dunes and mangroves, and visit a manatee conservation center, take two kayaking trips, participate in cultural activities, and more. Feral pigs on Mona dig up nests and eat eggs and hatchlings. As Vieques Island isnt on the mainland, Id recommend joining a snorkeling tour that will take you from the mainland to Vieques Island and back. Mamacitas Check with the staff at Mamacitas about volunteer efforts to assist the Department of Natural Resources to identify and help nesting turtles (typically April to early June). Although still considered an endangered species, the turtle population in Puerto Rico really is thriving and you can find them in many locations across the island. Explore the history and nature of Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve by taking a guided trolley tour through dry forests and seagrass beds. Check out some of the top ways your group can give back while visiting Puerto Rico. Terms & Conditions After dark, we will travel to the Fajardo area for night kayaking (on calm waters). Meals BLD, Day 6: In-Water Turtle Monitoring and Bioluminescence Kayaking. 2023 Oceanic Society. Swim with sea turtles and other marine life on this snorkeling activity located only minutes from Old San Juan. Buenos das! Private motor coach with professional driver & all transfers provided. Academic Credit We will be joined by a local turtle biologist who will talk to usabout his decades-long research on turtles in the area while we assist himwith his monitoring surveys! This stunning nature reserve features a blue lagoon, mangroves, coral reefs and sandy beaches. Hi, my name is Meg and, you guessed it, I love to travel. You must be in GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION for this activity. We will then have lunch and then a break to rest. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@seaturtlespacecoast.org with any questions you have. For the best chance of seeing a turtle in Puerto Rico, head to one of the turtle beaches in the list below: 1. Cool off at Ro Espritu Santo in Ro Grande. The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living sea turtle in the world. We will drop you at the airport in time for your flight home or feel free to extend your stay. We will have different options for walking distances based on peoples ability to walk on sand and there will be opportunities to work hands-on with the turtles and hatchlings (if they are present). There are five species of sea turtles in the archipelago, and two of these species, in particular the hawksbill turtle and the leatherback turtle, are endangered. Learn about the rich natural and cultural history of this beautiful island, hike through a tropical rain forest and kayak through a mangrove channel into a bioluminescent bay. Imagine helping an A surcharge will be added if the trip has less than 6 participants. 2279. These charismatic and endangered animals are easy and safe to work with, and they need our help! Located on an isolated island off of eastern Malaysia, you will be living and be working with the staff at their research camp in the jungle, right next to the appropriately named Turtle Bay. The tours are led by trained professionals who take visitors to the beaches where the turtles lay their eggs and hatch. Camuy River has the third largest water volume in the world in an underground river system and is one of the largest, and most spectacular, systems in the western hemisphere. It's Still Possible to Join a Cuba Expedition in 2020. must stay at a distance until the turtle has prepared her nest. Entrance fees to all program sites and activities listed on the itinerary, some meals (see itinerary), Opportunities for free time on the beach and hiking in a rainforest and swimming in a tropical waterfall (La Mina Falls, El Yunque). If you want to see sea turtles hatching then the best place is at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa. 2021, Sea Turtle Preservation Society111 South Miramar AvenueIndialantic, FL 32903Sea Turtle Preservation Society serves the community without discrimination based on age, ancestry, color, disability, familial status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military status, religion, national origin, race, sex and sexual orientation.A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) within the state. I have changed so much as a person in that I am more open-minded and open to trying new things. After breakfast today, we will head out for an easy kayaking trip to explore the areas reefs with glass bottom kayaks. Baby turtles hatch from eggs laid on the beaches and make their way to the ocean, facing many dangers along the way. Browse our current ocean volunteer vacations below. See them here and follow along Several of the turtles have now begun their northward migration (this map includes Carol and Sunshine, who got their tags in 2021). Whether your team wants to volunteer at the. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our, Whales, Dolphins, and Biodiversity of Southwest Mexico, Puerto Rico: Coral Reef Volunteer Program, Bahamas: Dolphin Volunteer Research Program, do something every day to support healthier oceans. One of the most highly-rated programs on this list of great sea turtle volunteering opportunities is offered by Global Leadership Adventures in Costa Rica for teens aged 14-19. Some of them, fresh out of the egg, took their. For the best chance of seeing a turtle in Puerto Rico, head to one of the turtle beaches in the list below: Hands down, the absolute best place to swim with sea turtles in Puerto Rico is at Escambron Beach in Guaynabo, San Juan. Volunteers have played an important role in Oceanic Society's work since our founding in 1969, and we invite you to lend your hand as a volunteer with one of our programs. . This super fun activity allows you to navigate through the beautiful mangroves and pass by lots of wonderful marine life including manatees, sea turtles and iguanas too. The accommodation is walking distance to the marine reserve and located in aquiet, residential neighborhood. For the best chance of seeing the turtles, you should join a snorkeling tour with an expert guide who will show you where to find turtles without fail! Please note: turtle hatching season runs from February to August. One of the many reasons Puerto Rico is a top destination for group incentive travel is its more than 200 miles of pristine coastline and nearly 300 beaches. Bahia Beach Resort at the St. Regis hosts leatherback turtle nesting sites. This gives you the opportunity to row right alongside the turtles and because the kayak is transparent, youll be able to see them swimming right beneath you!! We will have dinner at a local restaurant and then drive to Playa Grande, where our friends at Chelonia will give a presentation on their work and then accompany us for a beach walk looking for nesting leatherback turtles. Our marine conservation volunteer programs offer hands-on opportunities for you to participate in marine research and conservation worldwide. It also includes transport from mainland Puerto Rico to Culebra Island and back which is super handy. In your spare time, you have easy access to beautiful diving, beaches, and national parks right in the same region. * Please note: We give 100% refunds on any trips that we need to cancel and our cancellation fees (when travelers need to cancel) can be used on any future trip, no expiration or penalties. In Although every volunteer opportunity is different, there are a few common trends you should consider. All rights reserved. The Cayos de la Cordillera Nature Reserve is another great place to see sea turtles in Puerto Rico. Mona Island is the perfect habitat and the best kept Caribbean refuge for many marine animals including turtles. There will be opportunities to learn about local sea turtle nesting populations, to help monitor coral reef restoration sites, and to compare the near shore marine reserve reefs with the offshore remote reefs of Desecheo Island. It is an especially great opportunity for students interested in biology or conservation, but anyone can have a wonderful time doing important work here! Volunteers can also learn new skills, gain valuable knowledge, and make a meaningful difference in the world. (B), For a detailed itinerary, please email expeditions@oceanicsociety.org. Volunteers have the chance to contribute to important research projects, help protect endangered species, and promote sustainable practices. That evening after dinner we will have a presentation by Vida Marina on their work and then visit a nesting beach to look for and work with leatherback turtles. There are several activities requiring moderate physical exertion including two kayaking activities, walking in the forest and on the beach, and snorkeling. Visit the offshore reefs of uninhabited Desecheo Island. This shouldnt stop anyone from being able to help though! Itinerary: For an Unforgettable Incentive Trip, Head North, 12 Uniquely Puerto Rican Excursions for Your Incentive Group, Itinerary: Plan a West Coast Incentive Group Escape, Itinerary: 4 Days in Puerto Rico's Enchanting East Region. It's not all hard work, though!