The prices includes accomodation, all transportation expenses related to the projects, training and orientation, field coordination, and field material, and a volunteer ID card. At the end of the program, volunteers receive a certificate of participation on the program.

Last Updated: Jul 05, 2018

Last Reviewed: Sep 20, 2016

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About Program

International volunteers work with the local NGO in their goal to obtain as much information as possible in order to conserve Ecuador's ecosystem and marine resources. The volunteers do a variety of tasks, including (day and night) beach patrols, tagging and measurement of the turtles, egg counting and nest tagging, telemetry activities aboard a boat, amongst others.

Volunteers stay in shared dorms in a volunteer house that can accomodate up to 10 volunteers. The house includes a functional kitchen, bathrooms with flushing toilets and some 'social areas' for the volunteers to socialize and relax. NGO staff provide orientation and assistance throughout your stay. Meals are not included.

The program finds itself in Puerto Lopez, a small fishing village with an authentic charm to it. In their free time, volunteers can scuba dive, go whale watching, check out some of the incredible natural beauty on offer in a nearby national park or relax at some of the beautiful beaches.

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A green sea turtle, very common along the coast of Puerto Lopez

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5.00 Rating

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Safety 5

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As the first week was coming to an end, as part of the volunteering program we went for green turtle capture. This consist on using a specific type of fish as bait to attract turtles and then capture them to take some measurement to see how the population is evolving. At first everything was calm, since any turtle came to eat the bait. But as soon as one approach everybody jumped off their seats and started to get ready. At first ,I did not know how we were supposed to bring the turtle up the boat, so I thought we might have a net or something similar. But NO, a staff from the volunteering program, who is an expert diver jumped on the turtle who was swimming and grab it. As soon as he approach the boat with the turtle we help him put it on the boat. I couldn't help since I was almost in shock, with everything, as it happened so fast. That first capture was something I could not forget since it let me amazed. After taking all the measurements and making sure we had gathered all the information we needed from the turtle we released it. As we did more captures I realized that was the procedure, and even try it myself (with no success since the turtle escaped) but was definitely an experience I wish everybody could live.

A great introduction to marine turtle monitoring, I gained plenty of practical experience measuring, handling and tagging turtles. Volunteers monitor the beautiful 'Playita' beach which is part of a National Park and restricted to the public.

This program is an incredible way to both learn a lot and have a serious impact on the envrironment around Puerto Lopez. Having the ability to work with sea turtles is an incredible privilege. Along with that you aid in the effort to save an endangered species that desperately needs our help. I have traveled a decent amount and I really liked how this program was run and would recommend it to anyone looking to spend some time in Ecuador and was looking for a bit more than just beaches and relaxation.

What would you improve about this program?

The place where the volunteers lived was a little small and run down but they were actually in the process of moving to a new location and actually designing the new building themselves so this problem is likely to be solved shortly.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Xavier Everaert

Program

Turtle Conservation in Ecuador, from $550

Job Title

General Manager / Volunteer Coordinator

Xavier was born in Antwerp, Belgium, but moved from country to country as a child, finally settling in Barcelona, Spain where he successfully completed an M.B.A and bachelor in International Humanitarian Law. Xavier loves diversity and learning from different cultures. Volunteering opened his eyes to a new type of cultural exchange, whereby the volunteer helps the local community, but the local community at the same time can be of great value to the volunteer: helping to open one’s mind to what really matters. This is the message he wants to get across to his volunteers and is why he started INTVS.

What position do you hold at INTVS and why do you like working there?

I am the founder and general manager of INTVS, as well as one of the volunteer coordinators. I love my job, as it’s also my hobby. I had worked in sales for many years without much passion for what I was doing but then, after my first 6-month volunteering stint in Hanoi, Vietnam about 8 years ago now, I fell in love with every aspect of the volunteer experience.

Form the excitement of the preparation, to the fulfillment of the work, the friends you make, the smiles, the different food, culture…I now play a role in every part of this experience for other people, my objective being for them to come back with the same sensations I did.

Did you volunteer abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

Yes, I volunteered in Vietnam and Cambodia prior to starting INTVS, and have since then volunteered in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador Thailand, and again in Vietnam and Cambodia. I’ve volunteered on and covered educational, orphanage, NGO, health, organic farm, conservation and animal welfare programs, amongst others.

The volunteering is different now because I now have to document the volunteer work as well, with the idea to not just get a sensation of the work myself, but also from others.

What inspires me is the knowledge that every time I volunteer somewhere, I have the chance to learn something about a place, its people, and culture in a more ‘hands-on’ manner, and at the same time give something back. I’ve always liked cultural exchanges, and volunteering also has this aspect. Above all, it helps people to learn about themselves.

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What does the future hold for INTVS - any exciting new programs to share?

In the near future we will not be opening more programs, just so that we can focus on those we have and, with the constant feedback of volunteers and our partners, we will continue to improve every aspect of the experience for the volunteers and the local organizations. Our objective is not to have a vast amount of programs as we want to focus on delivering the best possible service, which can be quite difficult if you are too widespread.

Our fever for volunteering and getting to know new cultures is however irrepressible, and so in the long run, we do envision opening a program in Laos with a potential partner that we have been in touch with for some time now. The program is a small village on the outskirts of Vientiane, where volunteers help local farmers and school teachers…but there is still much to be discussed…fingers crossed.

How does your organization differ from other ones in the industry?

We provide a service in English, French, and Spanish, but above all, we have a very close relationship with all the volunteers we send. We have numerous Skype calls with them prior to their departure, and whenever possible, we have face to face meetings with them (as we have a slowly growing community of volunteers in Barcelona).

We are also amongst the best-priced volunteer agencies out there, with the vast majority of our local partners offering programs that cover food, accommodation, and orientation.

And finally we are completely transparent with our cost structure. We charge a set registration price for our service which is always the same, independent of the volunteer’s time abroad, and the local partner has his price, which is completely separate.

In fact, all of our volunteers pay the program fee directly to the local NGO. There is no markup price or commission. The only thing we ask of our partners in return for our sending services is to always respond to any issues that may occur, whereby we can work hand in hand in order to solve these issues swiftly but responsibly.

Location

Location:

Ecuador

Currency:

United States Dollar

Weather:

Jan-Mar

86 F / 50 F

Apr-Jun

86 F / 48 F

Jul-Sep

82 F / 48 F

Oct-Dec

84 F / 48 F

Airports:

Mariscal Sucre International

( UIO )

José Joaquín de Olmedo International

( GYE )

Mariscal Lamar International

( CUE )

Ecuador hugs the equator on the west coast of South America, and holds Amazonian jungle, Andean highlands, and the Galapagos islands off the coast. Needless to say it is one of the most environmentally diverse countries in the world.

About International Volunteer Services

We are an international volunteer organization, with programs in South East Asia and South America, which differentiates itself, above all, along three lines: - By offering a very personalized service in English, French and Spanish, of programs that we ourselves have either personally volunteered on, or have been involved with on-sight. This...

Turtle Conservation in Ecuador, from $550

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