Volunteering is a wonderful way to travel solo and experience a new country or culture. When I first looked into volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica, there were loads of options to choose from. However, for me personally, my experience with La Tortuga Feliz was second to none. Not only is the project relatively small - meaning you're not part of a huge tourist group - it's also incredibly affordable and makes a massive and important difference to the local community and ecosystem.
Here, Robert Adeva, Director and President of La Tortuga Feliz, provides his thoughts on the project; the history, why it is important and what to expect as a solo female traveller. We also hear from Bea, a volunteer from 2018.
La Tortuga Feliz, Costa Rica, was established in 2004 and over the years has done significant work in the area of turtle conservation and the development of a rural community. Situated on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica (I know right??! Doesn't that already sound amazing?) the project has three main aims:
Primarily, volunteers save endangered turtles which are threatened by poaching. Next, the project generates a sustainable income for the local community many of whom were former poachers. Not only is employment generated by locals guiding volunteers on the beach but there are many offshoots created by the project being there; these include transport, building, ground maintenance, local river tours and jewellery making.
Last but not least, volunteers who come to the project have a unique lifetime experience. With no electricity or phones, it allows an environment that promotes strong friendships to form quickly.
We hope all our volunteers have the time of their lives. It is only through their important contribution that La Tortuga Feliz continues to help.
History
The late Paul Lepoutre had the idea to establish an ecotourism project for observing the sea turtles in the area. Together with two Dutch friends (who financed the project) a business plan was created. The ecotourism idea was transferred into a non profit volunteer project. The land lease at the beach was organised and Paul started the building of the first cabins. The approach was rather unique and has the special attention and support of various organisations around the world, most notably the World Wildlife Fund.
La Tortuga Feliz is managed by Robert Adeva and his team of enthusiastic international volunteer managers. Since 2006 Robert was the operational manager and after Paul passed away Robert became director and president of the foundation.
In support of getting closer to achieving its long term goals, La Tortuga Feliz partnered with and fully handed over the scientific aspect of the turtle program to Latin American Sea Turtles in 2011.
Volunteers
In addition to contributing to something so worthwhile as saving turtles and helping this small, often forgotten community; it is also tremendously rewarding to get to meet the many keen and enthusiastic volunteers who participate at La Tortuga Feliz. It never fails to inspire us when another bunch of volunteers arrive at the dock often in the sweltering sun and sometimes pouring rain after journeying to us from the comfort of their faraway homes.
At the last count we have had around 6000 volunteers from a total of 47 countries. The common theme being that everybody wants to help.
85% of volunteers who come to La Tortuga Feliz are female travellers. We have puzzled over the reason for this being so but have yet got to the bottom of it. Of the 85% around 75% are solo female travellers. The work can be quite physically demanding under adverse conditions and the journey to get to us from the comfort of their own homes could be perceived as quite daunting.
There is no secret to the fact that in order to save turtles we need man- and woman-power in the shape of volunteers on the beach. Common sense tells us that the more volunteers that participate, the more patrols we could have on the beach, the more local guides we could employ and the end result would be more turtles saved.
Safety and Accommodation
We receive many email enquiries daily not only from potential volunteers but also from anxious parents of potential volunteers wondering how safe things are for volunteers of La Tortuga Feliz. In the many years we have been protecting the turtles we have never experienced one negative incident between turtle patrols or the locals who aren’t involved in the program who look for eggs. We enjoy the fact that the coastguards' headquarters for the region is located 6 minutes away from our location. Most concerns come from parents about the arrival and overnight stay in San Jose, followed by the next day travel out to the Caribbean coast to La Tortuga Feliz. Although previously we supplied concise instructions on airport transfers, and recommended a hotel in a safe area, we noticed that many of the enquiries didn’t convert to bookings. With our goal to get more presence on the beach the Turtle Saving Hostel San Jose was born.
As of February 2018 La Tortuga Feliz set up a safe, clean San Jose accommodation option for volunteers that also offers an airport meet and greet private transfer service. Volunteers who use this option can enjoy the benefit of meeting up with other volunteers and travel down by bus the next day. Some choose to stay a few days and do some tours to maximise their time in Costa Rica.
The airport pick up and overnight hostel seems to satisfy even the most anxious of potential volunteer, and parents alike, as this year's volunteer numbers have increased significantly.
Day to Day
After traveling from the San Jose through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park, nature lovers are in for a special treat whilst en route to La Tortuga Feliz. On arrival at the Caribbean coast and after transferring to a 4x4 taxi you will be driven through the heart of one of many of the regions banana plantations to our small dock. Here the adventure begins with a slow glide through the narrow canals and mangroves to the loud roar of howler monkeys. On sunny days it's possible to see 3 different types of monkeys including everyone's favourite cheeky swinging white faced monkeys. You can see many species of birds, fresh water turtles, iguanas, Jesus lizards, caimans and if you are really lucky - crocodiles!
On arrival at the project you are greeted by the manager and given a health and safety induction and a general explanation of how things work. You will be shown your accommodation and then usually turtle patrol training is quite soon after. You will be expected to work with the turtles on your first night as you are often replacing volunteers that have left earlier that day. It is a good idea to try to get a good night's sleep the night before arrival. You will be introduced to your trainer who will instruct you on the correct protocol to follow on finding a nesting turtle as well as how to record the various data you are responsible for collecting while she is nesting. It is at this point also that you will be told your patrol schedule.
You get to meet all your co-volunteers, usually from every corner of the world, at dinner. It is fun to hear all their turtle stories as well as their travel tips that they picked up before arriving. As turtle action is at night, volunteers tend to rest after dinner in preparation for their shifts, read a book or play cards.
15 minutes before your shift begins volunteers are expected to meet their local guide in order to get ready to save some turtles! (Turtle patrol shifts are usually between 4 and 5 hours long)
Day Two
Breakfast most often involves excited volunteers sharing their turtle experiences from the night before. Today is the day you will get your hatchery training which will allow you to man the hatchery, guarding those nests that will explode with energetic little babies very soon (hatchlings are present May to end of August). Again, your trainer will instruct you on the correct protocol to follow whilst volunteering in the hatchery. You and one other will be responsible for measuring, weighing and releasing hatchlings as they hatch. All nests need to be checked frequently and data has to be recorded accurately. Hatchery shifts can be between 4 and 6 hours long - but don't worry this all takes place on a beautiful stretch of isolated beach with roaring waves and coconuts a plenty! The hatchery is manned by volunteers on a 24 hour basis to stop predators getting in to the nests. Absolutely, crying is 100% allowed when you see the babies flapping madly towards the sea and their new lives! At the beginning of the season volunteers are involved in constructing the hatchery which involves a lot of digging, sand sifting and carrying buckets of sand.
The rest of your volunteer time
The rest of your volunteer time will be made up of turtle patrols, hatchery work, *turtle exhumations, **lectures, dish washing, bathroom cleaning, raking, card games, sunbathing, language practice 9if you fancy learning a spot of Spanish), swinging in a hammock, making friends with locals and co-volunteers, snoozing, reading books from our library, watching wildlife, hand washing your clothes, writing your travel blog, listening to the jungle noises or the waves breaking on the beach....
* Exhumations are when the resident biologist or research assistants, with your assistance, dig up a nest of already hatched turtles to investigate why some eggs didn't hatch. A great opportunity to take photographs of baby turtles found in the nest during this time.
** Lectures are given during your stay that cover the life cycle of turtles with various facts and figures. Included in the lectures are details of volunteers impact on the program which will give you a deeper comprehension of the importance of your participation.
At some point you may wish to join together with some other volunteers for a canal trip on the Wildlife Boat Tour; 2 hours of cruising the canals and mangroves taking photographs whilst enjoying the abundance of wildlife and nature that the area offers. One volunteer described the area as the "Amazon of Costa Rica". No guarantees but a volunteer last season photographed a jaguar crossing a log in front of the boat!
Last Day
It is recommended that you pack your belongings in daylight on this day making sure you are all prepared for the 5am boat departure the next morning. Turtle patrols are usually optional for volunteers' last nights but day time hatchery work will most probably happen. A last chance to get your camera out and snap things like giant butterflies, iguanas and leaf cutter ants around the project and maybe a group photo with your turtle volunteer friends? A time to exchange contact details and say goodbye to fellow volunteers, locals and staff with the deeper knowledge that you all formed part of something truly memorable and worthwhile.
Once you have done your time at La Tortuga Feliz, you are among a small community of people who know exactly what you went through and what you have achieved. We are proud that the project has and continues to generate such good will.
Through The Eyes of a Solo Female Traveller - written by Bea Pavan, Volunteer May 2018
By being a volunteer at La Tortuga Feliz you are helping wildlife and nature in general, not only sea turtles. Daily activities such as beach cleaning can help you become aware about how serious plastic pollution is and how much it is affecting the ocean and the sea life. Simultaneously you become aware of how much impact your single and everyday actions and choices have on the environment. It can be described as personal growth.
The entire experience makes you face yourself and sometimes also your limitations: by having no electricity someone can really choose to disconnect from technology and the outer world. You can find treasure in another persons smile and we can benefit from the small things that surround us, like a shell or a flower or a handmade bracelet.
At La Tortuga Feliz you are surrounded by people who are sharing the same passion and spirit for doing something good, and I would say that this is the main benefit (beside the sea turtle conservation): the realisation that there are plenty of good people around and that together we can really make good things happen!
I can say that the hostel is located in a great and safe neighbourhood in San Jose, near to the university and nice restaurants and bars, and it is really close to the city centre pedestrian area.
The fact that they provide the pickup from the airport is definitely a plus regarding safety and security, because as a solo female travel I personally got a little anxious landing late at night and then became overwhelmed by all the taxi drivers asking you to join them in a language I was still not familiar with.
Patrolling at night is safe...I mean, anything can happen anywhere, but I was never scared of patrolling - there is an agreement between volunteers/local guides and poachers, and I truly believe that everyone observes it.
The local guides and people working for the organisation professionally respect volunteers, they are extremely friendly and as a woman I never felt uncomfortable working or patrolling with any of them.
To find out more or book your volunteering experience, visit La Tortuga Feliz.
Hello my little and so pretty TORTUGA. I am sending Hitmans on your name to save all the turtles :)
❤️