Turtle volunteering in the Seychelles
| country: | Seychelles |
| location: | 30 minutes light aircraft flight from Mahe |
| price: | From €394 - €452 per night double occupancy of bungalow full board. Airfare €242 per person but complimentary for stays 10 nights+. Turtle project volunteers receive a 30% discount & 15% discount on the return flight from Mahé. |
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description
A typical day will be spent with Robbie our Conservation officer who will explain what you have to do. Basically you would walk around the island and record specific information. The island is almost 5km in circumference and takes around an hour or so to walk round. If there is a track but no turtle you would measure the track width to determine whether it’s a Green or Hawksbill Turtle (Green tracks are much wider), which part of the island – the island is divided into sectors, you would check if it has laid and mark the spot with a numbered stick. If it didn’t lay - why not? This is usually easy to find out – the bank may be too steep or the section to bushy or the sand too soft.
If there is a turtle then once she has started to lay (at this point she can’t be disturbed easily) you would check and record tag numbers. If a turtle has not been tagged then you would use the walky talky we give you to call the office or Robbie and he will come and tag and you may be able to tag under his supervision. You would measure her, record any injuries or disease, wait for her to finish laying and then mark the nest and sector it is in.
If the nest has been laid in a place where future beach erosion may cause the nest to be washed away we will relocate it to a safer place the same day. As we have been monitoring our beach patterns officially for a year and unofficially for about 30 years we have a pretty good idea of how the beach will move each year. Once the turtle has finished laying we carefully remove the eggs and dig a hole approximately the same depth as hers and place the eggs in it out of harms way. It is important to relocate the eggs as soon as possible after laying to give them the maximum chance of success. Once the embryo starts to settle and develop handling can kill it as it is so fragile.
All data is recorded in a small notebook which is transferred to the official record book each evening. Our peak laying period is mid October to end January. The Lodge is closed 01-20 December Inclusive.
If there is a turtle then once she has started to lay (at this point she can’t be disturbed easily) you would check and record tag numbers. If a turtle has not been tagged then you would use the walky talky we give you to call the office or Robbie and he will come and tag and you may be able to tag under his supervision. You would measure her, record any injuries or disease, wait for her to finish laying and then mark the nest and sector it is in.
If the nest has been laid in a place where future beach erosion may cause the nest to be washed away we will relocate it to a safer place the same day. As we have been monitoring our beach patterns officially for a year and unofficially for about 30 years we have a pretty good idea of how the beach will move each year. Once the turtle has finished laying we carefully remove the eggs and dig a hole approximately the same depth as hers and place the eggs in it out of harms way. It is important to relocate the eggs as soon as possible after laying to give them the maximum chance of success. Once the embryo starts to settle and develop handling can kill it as it is so fragile.
All data is recorded in a small notebook which is transferred to the official record book each evening. Our peak laying period is mid October to end January. The Lodge is closed 01-20 December Inclusive.
travellers' tales
Watching turtles dig and lay their nests on the beach felt like such a privilege. To see such a natural act, which is especially significant as the turtles are endangered, was such a wonderful and emotional experience, we really felt empathy. (more)
rooms, food and facilities
To see full details of our accommodation please click here
how to find us
By air: 30 minute flight by light aircraft. One flight daily. Connects with all international flights which arrive in the morning from a variety of destinations.how this holiday makes a difference
 The island is Seychellois owned, managed and staffed so the foreign exchange earned is staying in the Seychelles. We try to involve as many of our staff in our environmental projects, all who do help do so on a voluntary basis. As most of our staff have children who have to be on the main island for school they come to the island for the school holidays to be with their parents. We have a special subsidised rate for Seychellois to allow them to visit the island and learn about their own environment. Ours is the only truly affordable island for the local population to visit. The island is an isolated, fragile and unique ecosystem. Active monitoring and awareness programmes involve researchers, staff and guests, to protect endangered species and their habitats especially seabirds and turtles. Achievements to date We are constantly striving to improve its environmental performance; the owners recognise that their success is inextricably linked to the integrity of this unique ecosystem. |
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