Why did you pick this program?
This program really appealed to me because youre on the beach the entire time so you feel like your on a tropical vaction, at the same time your learning and creating a positive impact on the turtles and environment!
One of the top selling points for me was the lifetime job search support they offer in all the countries where English teaching jobs are available.
What do you tell your friends who are thinking about going abroad?
I tell them to stop thinking about it and just do it! Whether your learning abroad, teaching abroad, or volunteering abroad... It is the best way to get the full cultural experience in any place you're traveling. Going abroad you discover so much about the planet, yourself and others.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Deffinately pack lightly! Pack as little as you can. It is so much more convenient. Also make sure you bring enough money! Bring more then you think youll spend because oppurtunities come up like snorkling or shopping and money people couldnt participate because they hadn't bought enough.
What's your favorite story to tell about your time abroad?
It was the busiest night we had patrolling the beach for turtles! They were everywhere you turned, crawling up the beach to nest. The floods of turtles brought all of the predators out aswell. Our patrol leader shawn his light ahead and between the trees were four glowing eyes starting right towards us!
Two jaguars were having a feast. We continued down the beach and two volunteers went up into the brush to count the eggs a turtle was laying. They heard the bushes rattleing but could see nothing. Ten minutes later the mother turtle covered up her nest and they came out of the bushes only to find out they had a 6 foot long croc watching them 3 feet away for twenty minutes!
What is unique about this project?
The most unique part of this project is that you are on a totally isolated beach! Only volunteers and researches have access. The mountainous hike to get there is an adventure of its own! While taking a swim in the ocean we often saw different types of shark and rays! Aswell as at night when the millions of crabs and glowing plankton that filled the beach. In the day we would have dance lesson or hang. Out with the monkeys and lizards that roamed arounds our house. With no reception or connection to the world exept for the people your are with really enabled everyone to get to know eachother. Even create permanent friendship!