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Trinidad Leatherback Research
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Help save leatherback turtles from extinction, working with leading scientists and a local conservation group
Pricing From: $2,825 USD per person
Duration: 10 - 12 days
Operator: Earthwatch Institute
Each night your team will patrol sections of the beach with Nature Seekers staff and volunteers. In peak season, you may find as many as 150 leatherback sea turtles nesting each night.
At every encounter, you’ll tag, measure, and weigh these turtles (which can grow as long as 6 feet and weigh up to 2,000 lbs!) and collect other data. Since green and hawskbill turtles also nest in the area, you may record some data on them, as well.
ITINERARY
Research Summary
Matura Beach, Trinidad — This tropical island off the coast of Venezuela is known for its ethnic diversity and rich cultural events. It is also the site of some of the most important nesting beaches for endangered leatherback turtles. Each year, more than 2,000 female leatherbacks haul themselves onto Matura Beach to lay their eggs.
You can help an internationally acclaimed community organization, Nature Seekers, patrol this nesting beach and collect information on visiting and (depending on the season) hatchling turtles.
About the Research Area
Trinidad is the southernmost island in a chain of islands stretching from Florida to Venezuela. The island is separated from Venezuela by the Gulf of Paria, one of the finest natural harbors in the world.
Matura is a rural village located in the east-northeast of Trinidad. Several rivers and a fishing spot are found nearby. Matura Beach, a protected area, is 3 miles from the village. It has an array of wildlife and a tropical climate. As a small village, Matura is a friendly place and people can wander about freely.
The beautiful Rio Seco Waterfall is at the end of a two-hour hike through a rainforest featuring pawi, toucans, orange-winged parrots, red howler monkeys, otters, and other species.
Accommodations & Cuisine
You’ll share double rooms and enjoy the modern conveniences of flush toilets and showers in a large and comfortable guesthouse next to the Nature Seekers office. Hearty home-cooked meals of traditional fare, including Trinidadian chicken and beans in brown sauce, are bountiful and delicious.
Prices & Dates
Dates: April - June
Duration: 10 - 12 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Pricing From: $2,825 USD per person
Included: This tax-deductible donation is needed to help support each expedition’s field research requirements, including your room and board, on-site transportation and field equipment expenses. Your minimum contribution covers basic research costs, such as research permits, scientific equipment, on-site staff, carbon offsets, basic insurance, and more.
Excluded: The contribution does not cover your travel to the rendezvous site and, in some cases, additional costs may exist.
Conservation
Conservation Impact:
Of the $2,825 Expedition Fee, approximately $1,800 (64%) goes to sea turtle conservation or is spent in local communities.
Benefitting Organization:
Nature Seekers - This community-based organization works with more than 50 local residents to patrol this key nesting beach. Each year, they protect 3,000 nests on Matura Beach.
By booking this trip through SEEtheWILD, we will make a donation of $130 to Nature Seekers for their turtle conservation efforts. In addition, more than half the contribution of Earthwatch expeditions go directly to local research and conservation efforts and the volunteer support is critical to their success.
Featured Animals: Leatherback
Images
Call us at 800-854-4204
Mon - Fri
9am to 5pm
Pacific Time
Similar Trips:
SEEtheWILD Promise
All of our trips & volunteer expeditions:
- Directly support wildlife conservation
- Educate travelers about wildlife
- Support local communities
- Reduce environmental impact