Conservation in Latin America: Sea Turtles, Wildlife, & More

Overall, turtle conservation was a great experience. I got to see many, many turtles throughout the Aribada. Though, much of the day was boring due to a lack of work and activities to do during the day.

Total immersion into jungle living, surprise sightings of jungle animals, simple local food and beach patrols under star-filled skies, not to mention the wonder of seeing turtles laying their eggs and releasing tiny hatchlings into the ocean.

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Participating in the volunteer program for the sea turtle conservation program in Costa Rica with MÁXIMO NIVEL was an absolutely amazing experience. To be completely honest, you definitely need an adaptable mindset. You will be immersing yourself in authentic local contexts, adjusting to a different lifestyle, and stepping out of your comfort zone every single day.However, getting hands-on with marine conservation and taking part in night beach patrols, protecting nesting sites in the hatchery, collecting vital scientific data, and releasing hatchlings into the ocean makes every challenge completely worth it. That being said, Máximo Nivel's organization was fantastic from day one. The local team is incredibly professional, supportive, and always available to assist with anything you need—from orientation to daily project management. You feel safe, well-guided, and genuinely valued throughout the entire journey.

We had an amazing time and the Maximo Nivel is really helpful! They answered all our questions and kept in contact throughout our trip! We stayed at Finca Garúa and helped cut down banana trees and construct the garage!

I have a great time and i learned something new. Of course you have to use to go out from your confort zone and be prepare for a remote place where there are not many activities to do around. But if you love animals is an amazing experience to work with them and learn everything about sea turtles

I had so much fun and learned so much, even though I was only in Costa Rica for a week. From walking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest, to volunteering at La Finca, I really enjoyed it all. I would 10/10 recommend this program and do it all again!

I had a really good time here in Costa Rica! Everyone was very friendly and welcoming! Would love to do another program with you guys in the future! Tried amazing food and went to awesome excursions! Pura Vida forever!

The project and orientations went smoothly and met my expectations. The only feedback I have would be that there's a lot of initial confusion when first arriving in San Jose, as to where you'll be volunteering and how you'll be traveling to and from there. It all worked out in the end but having tickets ahead of time instead of making us buy them and figure out taxis would have been much easier. The project itself was a great experience and I met a lot of new great fun people.

It was so cool to meet new people, experience a different culture and feel like I actually made a difference. It was such a fun time, I would definitely do it again. I never thought I would eat so many beans and rice!

By far the most amazing experience! Traveling by myself was a little nerve racking at first but that was quickly changed once I realized how much fun I was going to have. Maximo made sure all my accommodations were met and I was safe.

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I did 2 weeks here for turtle conservation and I thoroughly enjoyed my time! I made great friends, and had great food, and stayed in Ostional with the nicest, quietest black sand beach! The volunteer work was fun, and I mostly enjoyed the beach clean up, ut was very theraputic, and filled me with self-confidence of doing a good thing. I have also seen the impact plastic has on the world, and i will now try my best to recycle and reduce waste more! The volunteering has definitely impacted me for life.

I was able to see so many sea turtles and an arribada happened while I was there. At first I had some trouble adjusting but got moved to the station where accommodations were very nice. Moving to the station hade my experience so much better.

It was a great program. It encouraged us to really experience local culture and life. Learning to navigate the bus system during Costa Rican rush hour was an unexpected, but super fun, part of the week. We really are given the opportunity to venture outside the regular tourist experience and see daily activities. Gave me a new appreciation for our similarities and differences.

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I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with the turtle conservation program! It was a rewarding experience to contribute to protecting these amazing creatures while learning so much about conservation. Would love to do it again!

I had a fantastic trip from start to finish with the lovely people at SOS Grande. Everyone was so lovely and inviting and I really felt as if we made a difference within the community. The daily activities and amenities were great and I would recommend this trip to anyone!!

The sea turtle conservation project was amazing. I felt so humbled to be a part of the project they are doing to save the turtles. I would highly recommend doing it. If you're lucky you may get to see and arribada or baby turtles.

The activities were really fun and varied, I really feel like I was making a difference to the environment. There was a good combination of work and time to relax, and I’ve met so many new friends whilst I’ve been here.

I had an amazing time at Verdiazul, I felt like we made a big impact and it was just amazing. Hard work but definitely so rewarding. We felt a part of something and time flew by, Valerie was incredible and so so kind, she really made the experience.

Program and stuff from Verdiazul was great - very passionate and inspiring for the participants. Good experience and a lot to learn for the future and the day to day impact for sustainability. Thanks again to Valerie and her team!

If I could give you some advice, it would be to not save any of your energy or enthusiasm when you join a project. Give it all and you will feel the reward multiplied by a thousand. I am really grateful for what I lived and I became part of. Loved every minute!

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