Turtles Grunting, and Why Turtle Volunteering isn’t for Me

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I don’t know what sound I thought turtles would make while laying dozens of eggs in a deep hole they just laboured over on the beach, but it wasn’t what I expected.

โ€œPhooooooooo,โ€ the Leatherback female turtle sitting inches from my face โ€œsaidโ€ (or rather, grunted) as she arched her head back with the strain that had spanned almost an hour of laying so far.

This post was originally published in 2012. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

leatherback turtle laying eggs

Down at โ€œthe business endโ€ of things, a researcher was catching the eggs as they were being laid, her hand strategically placed, ready for โ€œthe pitchโ€ while another researcher held up the turtle’s tail for a better view of the action.

collecting turtle eggs while turtle volunteering in Grenada

Despite the long sighs and grunts of strain coming from the turtle, she seemed impervious to our presence โ€“ all 10 of us turtle-watchers, hovering around in awe and trying (largely unsuccessfully – at least on my part) to get good pictures without using a flash.

But the volunteers at SPECTO (St Patrick’s Eco-Conservation Tourism Organisation) know what they’re doing so the turtles can indeed go about their business. A permit is required to access Levera beach (in northern Grenada), so they can control the environment and conserve this key nesting site for endangered Leatherback turtles. Volunteer researchers are on the beach every night between April and July from 8pm-6am, tagging turtles, monitoring nests, and (in this case) relocating eggs being laid too close to the ocean to somewhere with a better chance of survival.

SPECTO permit

Although it was moving to see and be near these large ancient creatures, I wasn’t as bold-over as I guess I had expected I might be. In researching volunteer work-trade gigs a few years ago, I came across a turtle conservation centre in Cost Rica that I’ve always kept in the back of my mind as a work-trade possibility in case I was โ€œin the areaโ€.

But I’m not sure I had considered the late nights and slow pace. There’s a lot of sitting around. A lot. In the sand. Which gets into everything. (I’m just saying).

turtle conservation education centre video

But to a turtle-enthusiast, this could well be a religious experience. Learning about and getting so close to โ€“ even touching โ€“ an endangered creature like a Leatherback turtle is a unique and powerful thing. There were people on our tour who make a point of visiting places on vacation where turtle watching is available.

My moment of connection came when the turtle grunted. I suddenly related to these gentle slow-moving creatures, empathetically understanding my sister creature’s belaboured sigh of effort in laying all those eggs (not that I’ve laid any eggs recently, but you know. That’s why they call it empathy).

โ€œ Phoooooooooโ€: that tangible, undeniable sign that not everything in life is easy, and the odds aren’t always in our favour, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort.

If you plan on doing a turtle watching tour in Grenada, be aware that Levera Beach is on the northeast coast of Grenada (and most people stay in the southwest). It’s a very long twisty drive, which can be problematic if you’re prone to motion sickness (as some people in our tour group were). Also, expect it to be a very late night, since the the real turtle-business doesn’t kick off until well after sunset.

Many thanks to the Grenada Tourism Board ย for this turtle-watching opportunity. I was delighted for the experience.

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9 thoughts on “Turtles Grunting, and Why Turtle Volunteering isn’t for Me”

  1. Love this post. We watched a leatherback lay her eggs on Playa Grande in Costa Rica, and I have to say that I felt for her too. Must be a girl thing. I do have to say that one of the coolest parts of our experience was running, full tilt, along a deserted beach in the moonlight, with the waves crashing at our feet. Surreal and amazing.

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  2. Thanks for the honest write up. I’ve always wanted to do some volunteer work with turtles, and I still do, but I definitely appreciate your “it ain’t all so glamours” vantage point.

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  3. @Lauren – “phoooooo”! Yes, I thought it was a descriptive enough term….. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    @Micki – Very cool! Were you inspired to volunteer at all?

    @Nailah – Although I’m serious about not particularly wanting to seek out a turtle volunteering gig, my reference to the sand etc was more for humour than truth. (I’m assuming nobody takes me too seriously…)!

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  4. We had to leave in a day or so, so no, we didn’t volunteer. It’s definitely on my bucket list. I’d love to volunteer with my kids when they’re a little bit older (at 3 and 6 I’d spend most of my time taking care of them). ๐Ÿ™‚

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  5. I really appreciate your honesty. I have done 2 volunteer working holidays and often the work is hard, long days and at times boring. I was signed up to volunteer with turtles in Costa Rica, but the road got washed out so I was unable to go. It sounded like it would have been a similar experience to yours.

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  6. @Ava – “Phoooo”: You have no idea how long it took me to find the right letters to emulate the sound that turtle made! I’m still not sure I got it, but I think you get the idea!

    @Micki – Yes, I’d probably wait just a while too. They might go stir crazy! (Then again, if a volunteer program is set up for kids to participate, they usually take shorter attention spans into consideration).

    @Jeremy – Sweet – thanks!

    @Laurel – I’ve done my own share of work-trade gigs, involving hourly commitments between 4 and 30 hours per week, depending on the gig. Did you pay for the volunteer working holidays you did? Would you do them again?

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