SEE Turtles Tours Conservation Impact
We believe in transparency and that travelers should know how much their trips are helping, so we now list the impact of every trip on our conservation partners and local communities. Your participation on these trips makes a big difference to the work on the ground and in the water.
We break up the impact into three categories:
Conservation: This includes funds that go to local partners to protect nesting beaches and conduct in-water research, as well as support for our Billion Baby Turtles and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. We also list the amount of volunteer opportunities in each trip. Since our launch, we have generated more than US $1,000,000 for turtle conservation and our 1,500+ travelers have completed over 5,000 volunteer shifts for an additional $50,000 in in-kind benefits.
Local Communities: We believe that money spent communities around turtle hotspots is as important as direct funding. When communities benefit from turtle watching, they are more likely to support protecting sea turtles and less likely to participate in activities like illegal egg harvesting. This category includes tour costs going towards staying in local accommodations, eating in local restaurants, and paying local staff (including local guides for tourist activities.) We have brought more than US $300,000 into coastal communities near sea turtle sites since our launch.
Travel Costs: Every tour involves costs to get you to places to see the sea turtles, hiring a guide and driver to get you there safely, airport transfers, as well as profits and administrative costs of our local operators and partners.
*Important Note: This is not an exact science. These numbers are our best estimates from our local partners. Due to proprietary restrictions, we are not able to list out every element of each trip individually.
Turtle Conservation Trips
Conservation Impact
CONSERVATION IMPACT BY TRIP
Costa Rica Leatherbacks
Conservation & Research: Of the $1,995 cost, $670 (34%) goes to Las Tortugas Research Station for beach patrols, butterfly farm visit, and funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 500 hatchlings) and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes 4 volunteer shifts patrolling the leatherback nesting beach.
Communities: Approximately $300 of the trip cost (15%) pays for food and lodging at the Research Station.
Travel: About $1,025 of the trip cost pays for the guide, airport pick-up, private van, hotel in San Jose, and costs of our local tour partner EcoTeach including administration and taxes, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical impact: Since 2010, we have had more than 320 travelers take this trip. We estimate the conservation impact to be roughly $110,000 plus more than 1,000 volunteer shifts and total community impact to be roughly $25,000.
Conservation & Research: Of the $1,895 trip cost, $885 (47%) of that goes toward wildlife conservation and research, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 500 hatchlings), Sea Turtles & Plastic, & Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes 4 volunteer shifts studying sea turtles.
Communities: Approximately $525 of the trip cost (28%) is spent in the communities around Bocas del Toro, including local staff costs, food, and transport.
Travel: About $485 of the trip cost (26%) goes to transportation and maintenance and operation of the research station, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Since our first Panama trip in 2022, we have had 17 participants take this trip. The impact of those trips are estimated to be roughly $18,700 for conservation plus about 60 volunteer shifts and $7,300 for the local community.
Conservation & Research: Of the $2,295 trip cost, $720 (32%) of that goes toward wildlife conservation and research, including sea turtle, manatee, and dolphin research, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 500 hatchlings) and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes at least 2 volunteer shifts studying ocean wildlife.
Communities: Approximately $670 of the trip cost (27%) is spent in the community of St. George’s Caye and Belize City, including local staff costs, food, and transport.
Travel: About $905 of the trip cost (39%) goes to transportation and maintenance and operation of the research station, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Since our first Belize trip in 2016, we have had 57 participants take this trip. The impact of those trips are estimated to be roughly $32,000 for conservation plus about 120 volunteer shifts and $27,400 for the local community.
Conservation & Research: Of the $1,795 trip cost, $860 (48%) of that goes toward wildlife conservation and research, including sea turtle, manatee, and dolphin research, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 500 hatchlings) and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes at least 2 volunteer shifts studying ocean wildlife.
Communities: Approximately $510 of the trip cost (28%) is spent in the community of St. George’s Caye and Belize City, including local staff costs, food, and transport.
Travel: About $425 of the trip cost goes to transportation and maintenance and operation of the research station, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: 2022 was our first Oaxaca trip. The trip generated $1,700 for conservation and $6,100 for local communities.
Conservation & Research: Of the $1,995 cost, $425 of that (21%) goes to Latin American Sea Turtles for in-water monitoring and funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 500 hatchlings) and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes 2 volunteer shifts helping collect data on green and hawksbill turtles.
Communities: Approximately $200 of the trip cost (10%) pays for food and lodging at Cabinas Delfines, located near the turtle research site.
Travel: About $1,370 of the trip cost (69%) pays for the guide, airport pick-up, private van, hotel in San Jose, costs of our local tour partner EcoTeach including administration and taxes, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Since 2015, more than 75 people have participated in this trip. We estimate the conservation impact to be roughly $25,000 plus approximately 170 volunteer shifts and community impact to be more than $15,000.