The Great Turtle Project

This was the most incredible experience. Dudley and his family were so welcoming and you can see how much the turtles mean to them. The sanctuary was amazing and being hands on with the turtles has been a highlight of this trip. Releasing hatchlings every dusk was the perfect way to end the day. My only regret was that I did not volunteer for longer than week. I will definitely be going back.

I am very grateful and happy that I was able to take part in this project together with my children. We had the unique opportunity to witness baby turtles hatching up close. We were able to feed the sea turtles, help clean water tanks and collect litter from the beach. Our absolute highlight was the release into the sea. Watching these tiny creatures every evening was a very special and deeply moving moment for all of us. The moment when a green mother turtle came ashore to lay her eggs was at least just as magical. A special thank also goes to Dudley and his entire team. You could really feel how much passion and dedication each individual puts into this project. The food was plentiful, varied and absolutely delicious.

What a fantastic week we had with Dudley and his team at The Great Turtle Project. We learned so much about turtles themselves and before we'd even started work wee saw turtles hatching and then an hour later (after sunset) we released them. They need to be released quite a way from the sea so they can imprint on the beach to return 20 years later! We were made to feel really welcome and the food for most of us was delicious. We worked hard. Harder than I thought we would. Digging out an old hatching area, cleaning throughout it and putting it all back. It was hard work but we were a team of 9 and we took turns, tapping in and out as needed. Also cleaning the tanks is a very strenuous job and requires a lot of elbow grease. We cut up fish to feed the turtles, gave medication to a sick one, saw the turtles laying eggs and dug nests for them the next morning. The accommodation was basic but absolutely spot on for volunteering. There was air-con in the bedrooms which we were all very grateful for. Dudley turned up one night with a speaker... What a fantastic week we had with Dudley and his team at The Great Turtle Project. We learned so much about turtles themselves and before we'd even started work wee saw turtles hatching and then an hour later (after sunset) we released them. They need to be released quite a way from the sea so they can imprint on the beach to return 20 years later! We were made to feel really welcome and the food for most of us was delicious. We worked hard. Harder than I thought we would. Digging out an old hatching area, cleaning throughout it and putting it all back. It was hard work but we were a team of 9 and we took turns, tapping in and out as needed. Also cleaning the tanks is a very strenuous job and requires a lot of elbow grease. We cut up fish to feed the turtles, gave medication to a sick one, saw the turtles laying eggs and dug nests for them the next morning. The accommodation was basic but absolutely spot on for volunteering. There was air-con in the bedrooms which we were all very grateful for. Dudley turned up one night with a speaker and we had a party but in general we'd eat dinner and then play games around the table in the evenings. The thing that would make this 5 star for me was having an individual coordinator as there were times when we getting told to do different things by different people and that can feel a little chaotic. At these times just pick something up and get on with it. We had someone on our team who did a lot of sweeping and cleaning of the sand. Others went out beach cleaning. So some self direction is needed but honestly this was a well organised and enjoyable week despite being physically quite demanding. I'm 60 but our younger team members also found it challenging. Organisation of pick up and drop offs was great and they organised a few little side trips that we paid extra for. (Show More)