Protect sea turtles in Malaysia. Join a Malay village on a small island and take part in a trip with a positive impact on marine biodiversity. All turtle solidarity trips here
The Perhentian Turtle Project in Malaysia
Our partner Fuze Ecoteer has developed three conservation projects on the Perhentian Islands: sea turtle protection, marine ecosystem research and biodiversity protection education. The Perhentian sea turtle project has been running since 2015. It is run in partnership with the local community, the Department of Fisheries (DOF) and the Marine Parks Division.
Tourism at the expense of biodiversity
It is currently based in two locations: Kampung Pasir Hantu (fishing village) on Perhentian Kecil and Pantai Tiga Ruang (nesting beach) on Perhentian Besar. These Malaysian islands are very attractive to budget tourists. However, this increase in tourist activity has come at the expense of the environment. The Perhentian Turtle Project (PTP) aims to preserve the sea turtle population by monitoring them, in particular through photo identification. The project welcomes ecovolunteers from April to September.
Volunteers survey sea turtles by kayak
You'll kayak to the sea turtles' feeding grounds. You'll photograph the turtles from different angles and observe tourist activities. The photos will then be analyzed to identify the individuals. If a new individual is identified, the volunteer will be able to give it a name! This information is essential for conservation measures. Thanks to it, the team will be able to determine the number of male and female turtles, identify where conservation efforts should be concentrated, and learn about their movements. These data will also be useful to decision-makers in designing the marine park plan.
Beach patrols at night
You'll patrol the beach at night in search of egg-laying females. You'll help collect eggs while taking biometric data. These patrols are in addition to those carried out by Terengganu State Fisheries Department rangers to reinforce the security of nesting beaches against poachers. The presence of the team itself deters poachers from coming to the beach.
Environmental awareness
The team visits diving centers and vacation resorts to raise public awareness of the need to protect biodiversity. A well-informed public can do a lot for sea turtle conservation.
Beach clean-up
We've all seen the photos of turtles with plastic straws stuck in their noses. As a volunteer, you'll be responsible for cleaning the beach once a week, sorting the garbage collected...
- Arrival on Mondays between April and September
- From 2 to 4 weeks
Rates
- 2 weeks: £660 (approx. €792)
- 3 weeks: £811 (approx. €973)
- 4 weeks: £962 (approx. €1155)
The price in euros varies according to the exchange rate
Included in price
- Round-trip boat transfer
- Three meals a day
- Dormitory with shared bathroom
- Supervision for activities
Not included in price
- The journey to Kuala Besut
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Photograph turtles from kayaks
- Watch turtles nesting under the stars
- Visit the magnificent Perhentian Islands in Malaysia
- Take part in a project with a positive impact on biodiversity protection
- Enjoy a cross-cultural experience: you'll live in the village and work with the local community. Volunteers will have the opportunity to taste authentic Malay cuisine in the home of one of the PILA (Perhentian Ladies of Association) ladies. Perhentian Ladies of Association was established in 2012 by Fuze Ecoteer. It enables housewives to earn an income.
- From age 18
- From 2 to 4 weeks, between April and September
- Good physical condition
- Language: English (basic level)
The location
You will live in a village (Kampung) with a Malay community. As this is a Muslim village, volunteers must adapt their dress and behavior when in the village. Pork and alcohol are strictly forbidden. The night is a time of rest for the hard-working islanders. It is frowned upon to party late into the night and to return home intoxicated. It's also inadvisable to make a lot of noise at night, as houses are very close together. For women, the dress code is a little more conservative. When swimming on the village beach, women must keep their shoulders and knees covered, i.e. wear shorts and a vest or T-shirt - bikinis are not appropriate.
Accommodation
Volunteers will stay in the Fuze Ecoteer Volunteer House, where you will sleep in shared rooms.
You will also sleep at the nesting beach base camp - Tiga Ruang. You'll spend two nights a week here, when you'll be doing night patrols and other activities during the day. Accommodation is very basic, consisting of two huts. There's no electricity, just solar batteries for recharging phones, and provisions are brought in from the village.
Food
Volunteers are not asked to cook, but to help clean up. However, you are welcome to bring your own ingredients.
Takeaway
- Long shorts or three-quarter length pants must be worn in the village.
- Shirts or tops covering the shoulders must be worn in the village.
- Water bottles and other reusable items (shopping bags, food containers, reusable cutlery, etc.)
- Swimsuit covering shoulders and knees.
- Bath towels.
- Mosquito repellent.
- Sandals or flip-flops.
- A small backpack.
- A hat to protect you from the sun.
- Personal medications.
- Hiking shoes if you want to go hiking.
- Mask and snorkel (shared with partner)
Arrival
Volunteers can either fly to Kota Bharu, then take a cab to the Kuala Besut pier, or arrive in Kula Lumpur and take the overnight bus from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) to Kuala Besut.
Once in Kuala Besut, go to the Safe Park Holiday office at the pier (just 5 minutes from the main road). Important: please do not take the boat with other operators, as they may charge you excessive fees. The team will welcome volunteers on site.
All Fuze Ecoteer mission reviews
About the partner
Fuze Ecoteer is a Malaysian social enterprise co-founded by Daniel, who after studying ecological sciences at Plymouth University moved to Malaysia to develop biodiversity protection and ecotourism projects. Fuze Ecoteer has been working to promote biodiversity and environmental education since 2010. The organization has developed three conservation projects on the Perhentian Islands: sea turtle protection, marine ecosystem research and biodiversity protection education. All missions with Fuze Ecoteer
