Two weeks searching for turtles in utter darkness on beaches at night...

The title sums it up! This volunteer opportunity was definitely an adventure and not your typical volunteer abroad gig. I did this program during the summer of 2008 but I still keep in touch today with the friends I made during those two weeks and even have visited some of them in places all over the world. I learned a lot about the nesting habits of green and leatherback turtles, and about the turtle poaching problems on Central American beaches. Walking along the beaches at night, in total darkness for four hours at a time, looking for vague turtle-shaped forms in the dark was definitely interesting. I would do it again and recommend this to anyone with a sense of adventure. Just be ready for traditional Costa Rican food every day, mosquitoes, extreme humidity and heat, giant bugs, and total immersion into a Spanish-speaking culture. Tortuguero is gorgeous and the black sand beaches are amazing. Look for bioluminescence at night. Open your mind, learn some Spanish, get in shape for the long walks on the beach at night, and have fun!