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 $800,000 for turtle conservation and our 1,000+ travelers have completed nearly 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 $1,895 cost, $630 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 $200 of the trip cost pays for food and lodging at the Research Station.
Travel: About $1,065 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 about 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 $1,995 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.
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Conservation & Research: Of the $2,695 cost, $790 of that (29%) goes to RED Travel Mexico for in-water turtle monitoring, whale shark conservation fee, park entrance fees, a reforestation project, and community composting, 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 1 volunteer shift helping collect data on green turtles.
Communities: Approximately $810 of the trip cost (30%) is spent in communities around protected areas including the Sierra visit and whale watching activities.
Travel: About $1,095 of the trip cost (41%) pays for the guide, airport pick-up, private van, hotel in La Paz, whale shark activity, costs of our local tour partner RED Travel Mexico such as administration and taxes, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Since 2008, more than 130 people have participated in this trip. We estimate the conservation impact to be roughly $40,000 plus approximately 40 volunteer shifts and community impact to be more than $90,000.
Conservation & Research: Of the $2,295 trip cost, $760 (33%) 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 $630 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 $935 of the trip cost (50%) 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 $1,695 trip cost, $700 (41%) 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 $550 of the trip cost (32%) is spent in the community of St. George’s Caye and Belize City, including local staff costs, food, and transport.
Travel: About $445 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: 2022 is our first Oaxaca Nature & Culture trip.
Conservation & Research: Of the $3,995 trip cost, approximately $860 goes to support IOI’s conservation programs, Galapagos National Park fees, Charles Darwin Station entrance fee, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles, Sea Turtles & Plastic, and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations.
Communities: Roughly $1,635 of the trip cost stays in the local communities, including local hotels, restaurants, and tour excursions.
Travel: The remaining $1,500 covers transfers, taxes, tips, overhead costs, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Our first trip to the Galapagos in 2022 totaled 12 participants, raising an estimated $17,000 for conservation, $15,000 for local communities.
Conservation & Research: Of the $2,095 trip cost, approximately $755 goes to support Equipo Tora Carey’s conservation programs, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles, Sea Turtles & Plastic, and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations.
Communities: Roughly $550 of the trip cost stays in the local communities, including local hotels, restaurants, and tour excursions.
Travel: The remaining $790 covers transfers, taxes, tips, overhead costs, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: Our first trip to the this part of Costa Rica in 2022 totaled 9 participants, raising an estimated $8,000 for conservation, $3,700 for local communities.
Conservation & Research: Of the $2,395 trip price, roughly $525 (22%) goes towards whale research, sea turtle hatchling releases, protected area visits, and a donation to Whales of Guerrero, as well as funds that support our Billion Baby Turtles (which helps save 1,000 hatchlings) and Too Rare To Wear programs and general operations. The trip also includes 3 volunteer shifts on the whale excursions.
Communities: $1,025 of the cost (covers lodging at a local hotel, locally-prepared meals, local naturalists, guides, and drivers, and tops for local staff.
Travel: The remaining $845 (35%) covers the trip guide, alcohol, and Whales of Guerrero overhead, as well as credit card fees, insurance, and marketing.
Historical Impact: 2020 was our first trip in partnership with Whales of Guerrero with a total of 8 travelers. The impact of this trip was roughly $4,000 for conservation, along with 24 volunteer shifts as well as $8,000 for the local community