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Sri Lanka Sea Turtle Conservation Project for Teenagers

Help with the protection and survival of endangered sea turtles and preserve the local ecosystem

Destination

Sri Lanka

Age

15-18 y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

During school holidays

Accommodation

Mixed

Service Hours

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Full supervision from arrival to departure, and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at £1,935 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Protect endangered sea turtles

Play a crucial role in safeguarding sea turtle populations by assisting with egg collection, nest monitoring, and releasing hatchlings into the sea.

Real world conservation experience

Gain practical conservation experience by caring for turtles, including feeding, cleaning tanks, and assisting with injuries.

Learn about Sri Lankan life

Experience Sri Lankan culture through visits to Galle fort and Hindu temples or get involved in cooking classes and traditional games.

Engage with the local community

Educate local school children about sea turtle conservation and participate in beach clean-ups, inspiring the continued protection of turtles.

A life-changing adventure

Make friends with your fellow volunteers from around the world and share an unforgettable experience in the sun, creating positive change.

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What you need to know

Overview

This project is perfect if you are looking to do something different during your holidays. It’s also great if you’re interested in pursuing a career in conservation or just love oceans or the outdoors.

We specifically designed this project for teenagers aged 15-18, and we have a set itinerary in place and extra staff support available.

You’ll spend your volunteering trip with passionate conservation staff, who actively protect and help the local environment through different types of programmes. The best part? You get to tap into their knowledge and experience, using it to learn more about different types of conservation initiatives in Sri Lanka.

You don’t need experience for this project. A willingness to help, learn and explore is all we ask of you! On your first day, our centre supervisor will guide you through the whole process, and throughout your time at the project, our staff will be there to help you.

So why not travel to a beautiful part of the world this year, make new friends, learn about sea turtles and help protect our oceans?

Activities

You’ll pack in a huge number of activities during your stay in Sri Lanka. Expect to do all of the following:

Work to protect and release turtle hatchlings

Take part in beach conservation and night patrols

Run community awareness and education programmes

Engage in social events and evening activities with fellow volunteers

Explore the surrounding region on a weekend trip

Here is a breakdown of the work you will do:

Work to protect and release turtle hatchlings

Your main role will be to help with the protection of turtle hatchlings. You’ll do all of the following:

Help bury the sea turtle eggs in a safe, dedicated area to rescue them from poachers.
Conduct daily checks on the eggs to check their hatching time and help the emerging baby turtles.
Wash the sea turtle tanks and refill them with seawater.
Prepare food to feed the turtles.
Take care of cleaning, feeding and helping turtle hatchlings.
Hand-feed any injured turtles.

Beach Conservation and night patrols

You’ll patrol the beach once a day to look for any pieces of fishing nets, which cause a large number of deaths in sea turtles.

Then in the evening, you’ll take part in an unforgettable hands-on experience – joining a sea turtle patrol. On this tour, you will go for a night walk on the beach of Galbokka to look for endangered sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.

Community awareness and education

You’ll get involved in educational work with the local community. This is very important because everyone has to play their part if we’re going to preserve the local ecosystem.

You’ll work together with our local experts to make creative presentations for people of all ages. This will cover why coastal conservation is so important and why we need to secure turtle eggs from poachers.

Explore the surrounding region on a weekend trip

All our Teen Programmes involve a weekend trip included in the price. You’ll travel together with your fellow teenagers and our local staff. This will give you the chance to explore an incredible part of the world and take a well-earned break at the midway point of your trip.

During the weekend, you will travel to the central part of the country. This will include travelling to Kandy, where you’ll see the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha and the last kingdom of Sri Lanka. You will watch a traditional dance and visit a tea factory, a spice garden, and a traditional wood carving factory.

Take part in evening activities with fellow volunteers

After action-packed days, there will still be time to fit in plenty of evening activities! You’ll take part in a Sri Lankan cooking lesson and watch a movie. You’ll also get the chance to visit local tourist attractions. You’ll visit the ancient Galle Fort, after which you can watch the sunset and do a bit of shopping at the market area. You’ll also visit Kalutara Temple – one of the most iconic Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this programme is to ensure the protection and survival of endangered sea turtles and preserve the local ecosystem.

All species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered in Sri Lanka, and our work helps provide data and insights that help with the protection of these incredible creatures.

Here’s just one example of why this work is crucial:

Different populations of Green turtles around the world are likely to have different migratory paths. If Green turtles in one geographic area go extinct, it may be impossible to replace them with turtles from another area. This is because the new arrivals will lack the inherited instructions needed to navigate within and from their new homes.

The work you will accomplish during your stay, such as protecting the sea turtle eggs and helping the emerging baby turtles, directly prevents these problems.

Map & Location

Ayubowan! That’s “may you live long” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation in the Indian Ocean. Experience a culture and tradition dating back thousands of years and try the exotic flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Did you know Sri Lanka is thought to have world’s oldest wildlife sanctuary? While exploring, you’ll find ancient cities with distinct architectural styles, vast tea plantations in mist-covered hills, and the warm hospitality of its people.

Balapitiya

A charming coastal town in southwestern Sri Lanka, Balapitiya offers a tranquil escape with its beautiful beaches and serene lagoon. It is two hours south of the capital, Colombo, and home to about 15,000 people, enjoying a tropical climate with warm temperatures all year.

Set beside the Maduganga Lake and River, lined with mangrove trees, Balapitiya is home to some incredible wildlife. Relax on the stunning sandy beaches and immerse in local spiritual heritage at nearby temples.

Food & Accommodation

Experience the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality and settle in with a host family, or live in a comfortable guesthouse with other travellers. Either way, you’ll have everything you need for an enriching stay, including a cosy bed, three meals a day, and clean drinking water.

You’ll be welcomed into the home of a carefully vetted family, offering the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture. Or, you’ll stay in a well-located guesthouse with the amenities you expect, giving you the chance to socialise with others from around the world.

Your home away from home will be safe and comfortable, and if you share a room, it will be with someone of the same gender and similar age. This lets you connect with fellow travellers, share your experiences, and create lasting memories.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Sri Lanka Arrival Procedures page.