Full Costa Rica Archive
The Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to work in turtle rescue projects along Costa Rica's stunning Pacific and Caribbean coasts. There are three different programs working with two species of turtle; between them these programs run year round. These programs will give you a chance to make an important contribution to Costa Rica's endagered wildlife, while gaining first-hand knowledge about the country and its culture.Volunteers will work with Baula Turtles between October and February and Olive Ridley Turtles between May and September on the Pacific Coast. Between March and July volunteers will work with Leatherback Turtles on the Caribbean Coast. The Baula Turtle is a subspecies of the Leatherback Turtle, the biggest marine turtle in the world, weighing as much as 1,900 pounds and reaching nine feet long. Their name is indicative of their backs, which are actually not a shell but a pliable thick leather-like skin. The Olive Ridley turtle, also known as the 'Lora' or Carpintera, is the smallest of its species, weighing in at 75 pounds and measuring only 2 feet. Both species' populations are in sharp decline due to over harvesting of eggs, beach development, fishing, pollution, and being killed for their meat and leather.
For more information, please visit http://www.volunteer.org.nz/costarica.
