The turtles‘ egg laying is seasonal. To give you the opportunity to support the turtle projects all year round, we offer projects on the Caribbean coast (January-September) and on the Pacific coast (July-December). Places are allocated according to season and availability.
Description:In Costa Rica, 5 out of 7 different species of turtles in the world, all threatened with extinction, come to the beaches to lay their eggs, although the species vary. Here you can support conservation projects with your work by protecting the turtles and their eggs from danger, relocating the nests or accompanying the turtle babies on their dangerous journey to the sea. The daily task is also to clean the beach section so that the turtles can enter the water and land safely. The climate is generally hot and humid, with the Pacific dry season running from November to May. The projects are located directly on the beach; visiting beach resorts with nice cafés and bars or participating in various tours such as horse rides, hiking to waterfalls … are good to do on your days off. Nearby you can also surf great!
Important:
For these projects you will need additional equipment: a lamp with red light for the night patrols, sheets or a light blanket, black (rain) clothing and suitable footwear. The best way to arrive is with a hiking backpack.
You sleep with other participants in dormitories, usually with bunk beds and mosquito nets, in a „rustic“ accommodation directly in the project. All wooden cabins have water, showers and toilets. There is a communal area with hammocks and picnic tables for relaxation and cosy get-togethers. Electricity is available by the hour through a generator. Mobile phone reception and internet are limited, not guaranteed around the clock.
12 000- The number of kilometres a female turtle can travel every 2-3 years to return to the beach where she hatched as a baby. And it is on this beach that she lays her own eggs as an adult.
Some sea turtles can dive several hundred metres deep, going for hours without new oxygen. This is made possible by the slowing of their heartbeat. All species are excellent and fast swimmers.
Turtles see very well. They can even distinguish colours better than humans. Like all reptiles, they have four different colour receptors and can therefore also perceive infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
Apparently they can orientate themselves by the earth’s magnetic field, but they also seem to „smell“ their travel route, so to speak – typical scent trails in the oceans show them the way.
Hearing, on the other hand, is not so good for turtles. They mainly perceive low sound frequencies vibrations in the environment, such as footsteps.
Please, fill out the online registration form, click on „Apply now“ in the upper right corner. So we have all your information at a glance. We will work out an individual program for you by e-mail and/or telephone. If everything fits and the program meets your expectations, we will send you your contract. As soon as we receive the signed contract back, your registration is legally binding.
Then we will send you the confirmation of admission.
Here you can find a general packing list. Depending on which projects you are driving, our local staff will send you more detailed information.
Luggage
Important!!! As a volunteer you are partly on rough terrain and should definitely travel with a BACKPACK. This makes travelling much more pleasant for you.
A shoulder bag or a smaller backpack
clothing
light summer clothes
short and long-sleeved T-shirts
long trousers made of linen or light fabric (to protect against mosquitoes on trips to the beach)
swimwear and beach towel
thin sleeping bag or bed sheet, if necessary
closed shoes, leisure / sneakers, sandals or flip flops
For protection
sunglasses
Headgear (shield cap, cloth or hat, simply to prevent „sunstroke“)
insect screen
thin rain jacket and small umbrella (peck)
Cosmetic
shower gel
other hygiene articles such as deodorants, etc. (in Costa Rica cosmetic products are generally more expensive than in Europe)
Sun protection agent (min. sun protection factor 30)
Insect repellent products (Costa Rican products are more effective than Autan)
We advise girls to bring tampons! (They are rather unusual here and very expensive)
We are happy to organize a language course according to your wishes.
Full-time courses can be taken at the beginning of program (usually Monday to Friday four hours in the morning). A language course is a great opportunity,
If you have any questions or would like to think about a language course, feel free to contact us so we can talk about the possibilities and your ideas.
Foreign health insurance
For your stay you need an international health insurance. We recommend that you take out Dr.Walter insurance (www.dr-walter.com/portale/auslandskrankenschutz.html). This insurance also offers travel cancellation/termination insurance for student exchanges and volunteers.
The costs amount to approx. 30 Euro per month and offer you all-round protection.
The insurance period is flexibly selectable between 2 and 24 months.
A foreign health insurance LANGZEIT is sufficient and you are insured worldwide.
There are many telephone providers in Costa Rica, although we recommend KÖLBI, a subsidiary of the national electricity company of the country ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), due to its good nationwide reception network. A SIM card with internet access (about 2 US$/1000 Colon) will be purchased together with you upon arrival in San Jose. It is best to use an old mobile phone with Whatapp applications.
For direct entry to Costa Rica from USA and European countries, no vaccinations are required. However, it is recommended standard vaccinations such as tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella and influenza, as well as yellow fever, rabies, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and, for long-term stays, hepatitis B as travel vaccinations.
Doctors and treatment costs
The costs for medical treatment and medication must first be paid on site in cash (possibly also by credit card). Anschlieβend you can submit the bills to your insurance company in Germany for reimbursement. When choosing your health insurance abroad, you should make sure that it provides a return transport in an emergency with einschlieβt.
Dengue fever
Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes during the rainy season, mainly on the Caribbean coast and in the Pacific region of Guanacaste. The disease is usually accompanied by fever, skin rash and severe pain in the limbs. In the case of native children, severe complications can occur, but this is rarely the case for travellers (or for the first infection). A vaccination does not yet exist, so always think of appropriate mosquito protection.
Malaria & yellow fever
The risk of contracting the tropical diseases malaria and yellow fever in Costa Rica is very low. As a rule, these only occur in the South American countries from Colombia.
Tuberculin test and tuberculosis
Participants in the animal project must first complete a so-called tuberculin test in order to be able to discard a previous or current tuberculosis disease. It is best if you complete the test before you leave country, but there is also the possibility that a CAS Team member will accompany you to the doctor in Costa Rica. Overall, the risk of tuberculosis infection in Costa Rica is now very low. Last year only 11 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were diagnosed.
Due to the mosquito-borne infection risks, you should also
Many banks charge fees, so it is only worth withdrawing higher amounts. VISA, Mastercard or american express cards are also well accepted in the whole country and you can withdraw money in the ATMs or national Banks.
Important!
In general, you should leave valuables at home and only take as much cash with you as you really need. Unfortunately, there is also the risk of being attacked during the day, especially as a foreigner. Of course you can protect yourself by not being alone in the dark and not being in areas known for their high crime rate. We also advise against wearing eye-catching jewellery or branded clothing! Should it nevertheless come to a robbery with or without weapon – do not play the hero! Even if it may look like an attacker is alone, most thieves have accomplices waiting at the next corner. Always remember that your health has priority.
The national currency in Costa Rica is the Colon (Pl.Colones). There are coins up to a value of 500 and notes worth 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000 and 50000 Colones. In general, small amounts like a bus ride or an ice cream can be paid with small change or small bills, as street vendors often don’t have much change. In bigger supermarkets, however, you can also get rid of the big bills. The current status (July 2017) is 570 colones for one dollar and 650 colones for one euro.
Especially in the tourist places, dollars are often accepted, but the change may be given in colones. In general you should not rely on paying in dollars in San José in particular. We therefore recommend that you bring cash in dollars with you, but exchange it as soon as possible or withdraw colones in your first few days.
Attention
Euro is usually not as easy to exchange as dollars!
For your program you would have to include the additional costs of
Plane ticket.
Foreign health insurance.
Pocket money (approx. $200 per month)
Prepaid Sim Card ($5)
Hostel stays during trips from project to project. A hostel costs between $10-$15 (the price is included on arrival and departure).
Travel costs to the projects. In Costa Rica there is a very well developed bus transport system with which you can use to get to the projects. Depending on the project you pay between 10 – 60 Dollars per route. A standard price for a long distance is about 10 Dollars. Sometimes the projects are not reachable by bus and you have to take a boat or a transport by taxi or a horse.
You can always call us if you have any questions or problems. We will give you our office number as well as our personal mobile phone numbers and a emergency number, which you can use to reach us 24 hours a day. Immediately after your arrival in Costa Rica, you will get an orientation about Costa Rica and detailed information about your program.
