Sea Turtle Conservation Program

To apply as a volunteer, please contact us. ​

Experience one of our community-based tours in Drake Bay and discover the secret treasures of the Osa found only off the beaten track. These sustainable rural tours benefit not only local families but also help to conserve the environment. All tours include round-trip transportation, a local expert guide and refreshments.
ACOTPRO protects the sea turtles in the area of Drake Bay and Ganado Beach. The turtles face threats caused by humans, mainly because of egg poaching, trashing and inconsiderate actions on the beach during the nesting season.

The program in Drake Bay works closely with the community to protect between 150 and 250 Olive Ridley turtles, Hawksbill and Green turtles  that nest on the 3.6 km Drake Beach each season, plus 3 kilometers on Ganado Beach. This vibrant community-led project boasts more than 12 years of experience. The green turtles are more common on Ganado Beach.

Drake Beach is wild and undeveloped and accessible mainly by boat, car and plane, and the roads are sometimes impassable in the rainy season.
 Unfortunately a few local residents go to the beach to poach turtle eggs, so the project is designed to protect the eggs by moving nests to a hatchery. The project has been hugely successful: for decades poachers took over 90% of the nests laid each season; but since the project began in 2003 the community has saved over 90% of the nests and released over 70,000 babies into the Pacific Ocean!
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Volunteers and locals are working together to save the endangered sea turtles. Sea turtle conservation takes place in the form of night patrols, taking care of the hatchery and through environmental education.
To see a glimpse of a nesting turtle or baby hatchlings crawling towards the ocean, attend our sea turtle conservation project as a volunteer! Protecting sea turtles and the ocean is progress.

To apply as a volunteer, please contact us.