Platanitos Turtle Camp
Sign Up: http://seaturtlecamp.org

Instead of hitting the beach at a resort in Mexico and sunburning your time away, why not travel to a turtle reserve like the Playa Las Tortugas where you can help biologists and environmentalists save sea turtles. Not only will you spend your time working at the camp and releasing tiny turtles at sunset, you'll learn all about the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles species, their environment and the dangers that may force them into extinction.

So what makes the Plantanitos Turtle Camp so special? Check out the information below from SeaTurtleCamp.org:

The success of the Platanitos Turtle Camp depends on volunteers, both national and international, who donate their time and physical labor to help preserve the endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles that come to nest at Playa Las Tortugas every year.

The primary volunteer duties are carried out at night when the sea turtles leave the ocean to lay their eggs. This includes patrolling the beach, even in stormy weather, collecting turtle eggs and bringing them back to the camp or incubation. As the turtles begin to hatch, volunteers help remove them from the nesting boxes located on the camp grounds in preparation for their release. Just before sunset is the big event where hundreds, some nights even thousands, are released on the beach and scramble across the sand and through the waves to their new life in the ocean.

By joining in this extraordinary event volunteers will realize that their help truly improves the odds of survival for these gentle creatures. In addition to working on turtle patrol the volunteers are expected to help with cooking and cleaning duties in the camp.

While there is always a lot of work to be done, there is also time to relax and make new friends. The experience gained by each individual during their visit here will depend on their desire to enjoy life and to blend into the Mexican culture. By keeping an open mind volunteers are sure see many benefits from their time in the Turtle Camp.