The sea turtle is endangered throughout the world and Costa Rica is one of the remaining countries to have turtles nest upon its beaches. There are four turtles in Costa Rica and they continue to decrease in numbers because of habitat loss. The turtles include: olive ridley, leatherback, green and hawksbill.

Volunteer opportunities for travelers can be found by looking throught the list of groups and associations provided below:

• Volunteer Opportunities — Asociacion Nacional de Asuntos Indigenas is located at the end of the Caribbean coast in the Volunteer Opportunities — Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Reserve. This association offers volunteer opportunities with options for accommodation that include camping, home stay and cabins.
• Volunteer Opportunities — Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation solicits volunteers to help with the upkeep of the station and ongoing research project which includes sea turtle conservation. They charge a daily fee which covers room and broad. Lodging is in new dormitory buildings.
• Volunteer Opportunities — Save the Turtles, Inc. is a non-profit organization requiring volunteers to assist with turtle patrols. It is located in Parismina at the base of Tortuguero National Park This group helps volunteers get involved with other local activities in the community.
• Volunteer Opportunities — Caribbean Conservation Corporation recruits volunteers for turtle tagging and research on green and leatherback turtles. There is also an opportunity to tag birds during the migration seasons. Programs range from one to three weeks and start at US$1,200.

Turtles are Sensitive to Ambient Light

One of the reasons that turtles are no longer nesting on beaches throughout the world is because they are sensitive to ambient light. Everything from street side lights to a flash on a camera impacts the turtle. If you take a tour and there isn't enough light to take a picture. Please do not. Many rangers in Costa Rica will allow travelers to take photos to ensure that they enjoy their trip to Costa Rica, but the conservationists of the world ask you to kindly refrain from taking photos with a flash.

There are some turtle nesting hot spots in Costa Rica. One of those places is the lesser-known Tortuguero National Park .

Tortuguero National Park is located on the Caribbean coast in a remote 31,187-hectare (77,000-acre) national park. Tortugeuro National Park is largely made up of a coastal rainforest which has what seems to be an infinite maze of canals.

Adventurous travelers will find six of Costa Rica's eight species of turtles in this park. In addition, there are jaguars, ocelots, cougards, river otters, manatees and 300 species of birds.