5 Volunteer Vacations That Protect Wildlife
5 Volunteer Vacations That Protect Wildlife
*Updated February 13, 2019*
Did you grow up wishing you were like Jacques Cousteau, a marine biologist, observing the behavior of dolphins or releasing sea turtle hatchlings to the sea? Or perhaps you wanted to be the next Jane Goodall, studying primates in the jungle.
There are now so many great volunteer vacations that protect wildlife. You can make a big difference while participating in citizen-science based research and conservation programs with wild animals all around the world.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Costa Rica Jaguar Volunteer Expedition: Tortuguero National Park is a wonderland for wildlife lovers. Join GVI and assist with important research and help discover more information about the ecosystem, threats against jaguar populations and more. The data collected helps local organizations understand how to better protect the species, among others.
Mexico Ocean Wildlife Research: Baja California Sur is a true wildlife hotspot. Here you can participate in a sea turtle research program and help study whale sharks with local organizations. This trip is run by SEE Turtles.
Amazon Riverboat Exploration: EarthWatch is working with the local Cocama people that live near the Samiria River Basin to develop conservation plans that help sustain the local population and the delicate ecosystems and wildlife. You will meet with Cocama people and explore the river basin and flooded forest in an effort to collect data on the abundant wildlife population living in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
Baja Whale Watching & Sea Turtle Research: Join RED Travel Mexico for this locally based conservation effort as you learn to tag sea turtles, whale watch, and enjoy all that Magdalena Bay in Mexico has to offer. Arrive in La Paz and enjoy a night to explore the city on your own. Depart for the secluded island where the campsite and turtle monitoring base is situated.
Nicaragua Sea Turtle Volunteering: Padre Ramos Estuary is home to one of the world’s most endangered sea turtle populations. Join SEE Turtles to help local researchers study and protect hawksbill sea turtles in a remote and beautiful part of the country.
