Protecting sea turtle nesting activity - Rethymno

Name: Protecting sea turtle nesting activity - Rethymno
Start: 2021-05-08
End: 2026-10-12
Location: Rethimno, Greece

Code: caad3875-9bae-11ec-bf60-fa163ef8d720 Copied

Greece Youth activities Environment Youth activities Environment Permanent

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

ARCHELON, a nonprofit conservation organization active since 1983, runs a number of volunteer projects for the protection of sea turtles and their habitats in Greece every year. More than 500 international volunteers per year participate in our projects, including about 30 field leaders. Every year we are entering in internship agreements with 70 Universities and other educational establishments from all over the world.

💼 What the programme involves

From early May to early October, volunteers of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world participate in the sea turtle conservation program in Rethymno. The activities vary depending on the season (nesting season: mid-May through mid-August, hatching season: mid-July through late September) and include the following:

• ‘Patrolling’ the beaches every day (Morning observation), during which loggerhead reproductive activity is recorded.

• ‘Patrolling’ the beaches every night (Night observation), including measuring and tagging the nesting females.

• Protecting the nests in situ (with ‘fencing’) from both human activity and/or animal predation, and relocation of nests, when necessary.

• Constructing special ‘shading’ structures to guide hatchlings to the sea in areas where artificial light (from roads, shops, etc) may disorient the hatchlings when they emerge from the nest.

• Excavating nests after the hatchlings have emerged, in order to estimate the hatching success.

• Increasing public awareness of both tourists and local residents by operating a seasonal information station in the old city of Rethymno, information tables and organizing presentations in hotels and on tour boats.

• ‘Patrolling’ the beaches during the day to raise bathers’ awareness of the importance of the nesting beaches.

• Driving, maintaining equipment, maintaining the camp and its facilities (i.e. cleaning, etc.) and various jobs such as painting and carpentry. Artistic skills such as drawing and photography can also be quite useful.

• Following the protocol for dealing with injured or dead sea turtles, if necessary.

🏠 Accommodation on site

Volunteers will live in the campground designated by our partner for the duration of their participation in the Project. The Research Field Station in Rethymno is based in a camping at the nesting beach. It takes about 45 minutes to walk from the campground to the centre of the old town of Rethymno. There is also a frequent local bus from the campground to the city of Rethymno; the trip takes about 20 minutes.

Accommodation costs are included in the Participation Fee.

Volunteers must be prepared to take part in a communal life, and to live and work in both populated and secluded areas, often as members of small teams and usually under harsh conditions. Although relevant experience is not necessary, the ability to live and co-operate with people of different cultures and backgrounds is essential.

Facilities/Features of the campground:

• WC

• Internet Wi-Fi and use of fax

• Washing facilities (paid service)

• Security: free individual or communal deposit boxes

• Natural-shaded areas

• Solar-heated hot water showers

• A taverna(= a restaurant), which gives a discount on cooked meals and coffees to volunteers.

📍 About the location

The Rethymno Bay area in northern Crete is the third largest nesting habitat of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in Greece and the largest on the island. Rethymno Bay is known for its beautiful beaches of golden sand and shallow waters. The beach extends for 12 kilometers.

🎒 Leisure activities

There are many free time activities to choose from: Visit the old city of Rethymno, swim or snorkel at the wonderful sandy beaches of the area (including the beach in front of our campsite), hike along the Crete section of the E4 European Long Distance path, explore the famous gorges and mountains of Crete (Agiofarago gorge, Samaria gorge, Asterousia mountains, White mountains, Psiloreitis, etc), visit the archaeological site of Archaia Eleftherna, visit the famous villages and beaches in the south or north of Rethymno (Margarites village, Plakias, Damnoni, Schinaria, Preveli, Agia Galini, Bali, etc).

⚠️ Requirements

1. Applicants must be over 18 years old.

2. They must be able to communicate fluently in English and must be covered by a personal health insurance policy.

3. The minimum period of participation is 5 weeks. Exceptionally, returning volunteers can join their projects for 4 weeks.

4. A combination of participation in more than one projects is possible if the duration of stay in the second/ third of them is 4 weeks or longer.

5. Applicants must be in very good health and in good physical shape due to the projects' physically-demanding tasks and living conditions.

6. Volunteers must bring their own camping gear (e.g. sleeping bag, tent, torch, alarm clock, etc).

ℹ️ Additional information

Sea turtles come into the bay to nest in early May, together with the first tourists visiting these beaches. The first team will be expected to kick off the project and our partner’s Field Station on the 26th of May. Monitoring, nest protection and public awareness activity will get busier every day up to mid-June.

From mid-June to about mid-August, everything escalates: final number of nests is reached, numbers of visitors on the beaches go up fast and reach their peak, and first hatchlings are out. A higher number of volunteers is expected in this busy period.

From mid-August to end of September hundreds of hatchlings reach to the sea with the help of volunteers and this an excellent time for public awareness and conservation work combined. The Field Station and the project are closed around the end of September.

Participation is arranged in full weeks, each to be calculated as 7 days from the date of taking up duties (e.g. if starting on a Tuesday, last day of duties will be Monday). The arrival date to the project site is the day before taking up duties. The departure day from the project site is the day after the last day of duties.

Minimum participation is 4 weeks

Volunteer participation fees cover the cost of accommodation, administration, training and accident insurance coverage (up to a limit) as well as the annual subscription to our partner.

The participation fee is paid once (in a single payment i.e. no partial payments are accepted) and proof of payment needs to be sent to our partner before the volunteer status is confirmed.

Please note

• Greek speakers are welcome and a specific number of them will be accepted with a reduced volunteer participation fee under the same rules & cancelation policy.

• Families are welcome to join: participation fees for 3 days to 1 week are 50€/parent, 30€/child. The fees do not include accommodation, we recommend to book and pay in the same camp site.

• You will need to be in the project one day before your first day of participation and you can stay one day after the last day of participation in the project.

• The time of arrival needs to be sent by e-mail to the Volunteer coordinator at least 5 working days before a volunteer arrives to take up duties.

• Each volunteer gets an exclusive “volunteer” T-shirt upon arrival.

• Our partner is not in a position to offer financial assistance. Volunteers are expected to cover their travel and personal costs along with their food expenses.

Because of the communal lifestyle, volunteers usually share living expenses, estimated at around €25-€30 per week. Anyone who does not wish to participate in the communal arrangement can estimate their expenses at about €15 per day.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.

📷 Project photos

Protecting sea turtle nesting activity - Rethymno

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📅 Available sessions

Crete - Rethymno 3

16/06/2021 → 20/08/2021

Closed

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Crete - Rethymno 3

21/08/2021 → 15/10/2021

Closed

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Archelon2025

10/05/2025 at 00:00 → 12/10/2025 at 00:00

Closed

0 / 4

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Archelon2026

10/05/2026 at 00:00 → 12/10/2026 at 00:00

Open

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Archelon-07

01/05/2022 → 15/10/2022

Closed

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Archelon-05-2023

01/05/2023 at 00:00 → 12/10/2023 at 00:00

Closed

0 / 4

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Crete - Rethymno 1

08/05/2021 → 15/06/2021

Closed

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ℹ️ Key information

Age required

18–99 years old

Solidarity donation

800.00 EUR

French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).

📍 Location

Rethimno, Greece

Greece

🌍 Location info

Local currency

Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)

Timezone

Eastern European Standard Time

Local time: 20:55 (12/11/2026)

🛡️ Before you leave

Security information

📞 Contact us

[email protected]

+32 2 888 67 13

Contact form

✅ Features

🏠 Accommodation

Collective Other

🗣️ Languages spoken

English Greek