GoEco > North America > Mexico > Sea Turtle Conservation and Surfing 101

Mexico – Sea Turtle Conservation and Surfing 101

Fast Facts

Please Note: This program is temporarily unavailable. Check out our alternative programs in North America or schedule a one-on-one call with one of our expert volunteer advisors.

Join our team on the beaches of Mexico to help conserve and protect the sea turtles. Find yourself learning to surf and immersing yourself in a new culture!

Program Highlights:

Gain hands-on experience working for marine and wildlife conservation
Ethical wildlife interactions and volunteer tasks
Experience the language and culture of another country, surrounded by sandy beaches and friendly locals
Volunteers will have the opportunity to take two surf lessons during the week
During free time, volunteers can participate in activities carried out, such as salsa classes (once a week) and classes of local food or craft workshops (offered once every two weeks)

Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum one-week commitment):

Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM). You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the accommodations for check-in and an introduction, including a presentation about the history and types of sea turtles in the area and explanations of the week’s volunteer tasks.

Days 1-5, Monday-Friday: Rewarding volunteer work. The day begins with breakfast at 8:00 AM. Daily tasks will include beach conservation through waste collection, turtle monitoring- including counting and marking eggs, night monitoring on the beaches and assisting with turtle releases. Some days will include surf lessons. Dinner is arranged at 6:00 PM and nightly volunteer activities will begin at 8:00 PM. Volunteers from May-October will be involved solely in environmental conservation tasks.

Day 6, Saturday: Free day for volunteers to relax or explore the area.

Day 7, Sunday: Free day for volunteers extending. Departure day for volunteers staying only one week.

Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow the schedule of working Monday- Friday and Saturdays-Sundays free.

Please note: Volunteers who do not have an advanced or native level of Spanish are encouraged to join the program for a minimum duration of two weeks. The first week will be only Spanish courses, from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Having a handle on the local language will allow you to better communicate with the program staff as well as with local community members that may speak very little English.

Check out what our past volunteers had to say!

Location of the Project: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

Project length: Min 1 – Max 12 weeks

Arrival Airport: Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM)

Volunteer Work: Wildlife and marine conservation

Age: 18-80. Volunteers aged 16 and 17 may apply with parental consent and will stay with local host families.

Number of Volunteers: Up to 20 international volunteers

Important Note: Volunteers have the option to swap any week of volunteering with Spanish classes at no additional fee.

What’s Included

Accommodations: Shared, single-gender rooms in cabins

Airport Transfers: Airport transfers are provided on both arrival and departure days

Orientation: All necessary training and introductions are provided upon arrival.

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Meals, flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses.

Location

The project is based on the beautiful beaches of Puerto Escondido in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Puerto Escondido is a small port and tourist city, famous for its white-sand beaches and large waves for surfing competitions. The bay of Puerto Escondido is located along the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most culturally rich and diverse states in Mexico, making it one of the most important and oldest tourist destinations on the Oaxacan coast.

Volunteer Work

Puerto Escondido is a very popular beach and surf destination. Volunteers will help with the conservation of endemic species, such as turtles and reptiles of Oaxaca who are vulnerable and threatened by tourism, illegal hunting, climate change and pollution of beaches and the sea.

Some of your tasks and activities may include:

Night patrolling at least twice a week to take care of the turtles that are spawning
Collecting eggs and taking them to a safe place away from predators.
Beach cleaning
Joining surf classes twice a week
Working with students of a local school in order to promote the importance of recycling, beach cleaning, protect the turtles and its habitat, etc
Participating in mangrove reforestation tasks once every two weeks

Turtle Season Note: Turtles are present in the area from November to April. During other months, volunteers will paricipate in environmental conservation activities.

Living Arrangements

Internet icon Internet: WiFi is available for use.

Laundry icon Laundry: There are laundry facilities nearby that are available for an extra fee.

Accommodations icon Accommodations: Volunteers will stay in shared cabins with clean sheets, blankets and towels. The site has hot water showers and flushing toilets. Minors will be placed with local host families.

Food icon Food: Meals are not included, but there are restaurants nearby.

Requirements

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

General good health in order to endure working in hot and humid conditions
While Spanish classes are provided, volunteers should have a basic level of Spanish.
Volunteers who do not have an advanced or native level of Spanish are recommended to join the program for a minimum duration of two weeks (the first week will be Spanish courses.)

Travel Highlights

Volunteers often travel within Puerto Escondido during their free time or before the program starts. Some places you may want to check out include:

Beaches in Puerto Escondido such as Carrizalillo, Bacocho, Puerto Angel and Punta Zicatela. You can swim at some beaches and other beaches are just for surfing.

Mazunte is a town near Puerto Escondido. You can visit this small town in one day and enjoy a hike at Punta Cometa, a place with stunning views, especially during sunset.

Chacahua is a National Park with 10 different types of vegetation, 246 species of flowers and 189 species of animals. There you can swim in bioluminescence, surf and camp.