Protect sea turtles in Thailand. Join us on an eco-solidarity trip to a non-tourist island to study sea turtles, from egg-laying to hatching. You'll also take part in the NGO's other projects, such as reef and seagrass monitoring. All sea turtle ecovolunteer programs here.
Studying and protecting sea turtles in Thailand
Our partner NAUCRATES is an NGO which has been running a sea turtle protection program on the island of Ko Phra Thong, Thailand, for over 24 years. Its team studies and protects sea turtles from the time they lay their eggs on the beaches, between December and February, until they hatch in February and March. All the beaches are monitored daily for nests. The nests are then protected until they hatch. The NGO has identified three species of turtle on the island: leatherbacks, olive ridleys and green turtles.
Research on reefs, seagrass beds, waste...
It should be noted that the number of turtle nests has declined considerably over the years, so ecovolunteers may not find any during their stay. In addition to sea turtle monitoring, our partner works on numerous biodiversity protection projects. The Naucrates team gives lectures on sea turtles to tourists, and organizes beach clean-ups. On these occasions, waste data will be collected. The team also undertakes research on coral reefs and seagrass beds. Team members regularly travel to the village of Le Lion, where there is a museum dedicated to environmental protection, to involve the local community in their projects. Environmental education activities in schools are also organized.
Turtle protection, coral reef studies, beach clean-ups...
You will follow a scientific research and conservation program, coordinated by the team in place. You'll take part in beach surveillance (15 km) on Phra Thong and Ra islands, early in the morning and sometimes during the day. You'll observe the behavior of turtles feeding in the water during the day.
Other conservation activities can be planned, for example
- Studying coral reefs with a mask and snorkel along transects;
- Garden maintenance or restoration of the Community Conservation Centre (painting or other minor work);
- Beach cleaning ;
- Fundraising ;
- Planting...
Example of a volunteer day
- 6:30 am: 2 or 3-hour patrols along supervised beaches (5 to 10 km long).
- 9:00 am: breakfast followed by weather analysis.
- 9:30 am: observations from the "rock". Two volunteers go out to observe the sea, looking for sea turtles, dolphins or other animals. If you don't take part in the "observation from the rock", you can have some free time for a swim or a stroll on the beach.
- 13.00 - 14.00: lunch
- 14:30 - second round of "observations from the rock" / various odd jobs
- 7:00 pm dinner
This schedule is only an example, and will vary according to the weather and ongoing projects. Different activities can be planned on site, such as preparing materials for the school, a guided tour for visitors, birdwatching...
Once or twice a week, you'll take the boat to visit Ko Ra's beaches. This involves jumping off the boat and swimming to shore. The same goes for the return trip.
The project team is made up of permanent members, interns and ecovolunteers. Team size varies according to the number of volunteers per tour, but the maximum team size is 12 people. You may be asked to work with a very small team.
Dates
- January 10, 2025 to March 30, 2025
- Minimum 2 weeks
Rates
- 2 weeks €670
- Add €84 for boat transfer
Included in price
- Accommodation (shared bungalow) on a local bungalow site
- Drinking water
- Training/awareness-raising for conservation work
- Local transport on the island during project activities
- Assistance in organizing and planning transfers to and from the island
- Assistance in organizing local excursions, Ko Surin National Park.
Not included in price
- Return boat transfer* 84 Euro (to be paid in cash on the island)
- Food and drink (you can buy inexpensive meals nearby)
- Pick-up at Phuket or Ranong international airport
- Airline tickets
- Travel insurance
- Vaccines
- Visa
- From age 18
- Families accepted with children over 8 years of age (there are special rates for families).
- Motivation: you need to be prepared for long walks (up to 15 km) in hot, humid conditions.
- You also need to be friendly, able to work in a group and live in a small Thai community.
- You'll be on a remote tropical island and have to be prepared to live without nightlife, stores, TV and other Western comforts,
- Any health problems must be communicated before booking. There is no hospital on the island.
- You are required to have travel insurance to cover possible accidents and health expenses.
- You must respect Thai culture during the project.
- Volunteers must respect the culture and religion of the local community by wearing appropriate clothing and covering shoulders and legs. You may wear bathing suits and shorts when working on the beach or outside the village.
Housing
The project offers two different accommodation options. Most of the time, you'll stay in a local bungalow close to the beach. If you're traveling to a village, you can stay with local people. Accommodation is basic, in single, double or triple rooms. Be prepared to use a bucket shower and sometimes local toilets! Electricity is supplied by generators and will be available, mainly in the evenings. WiFi is available, but intermittently.
Food
Food and drink are not included in the price. However, there is a Thai food vendor on site, and food is served throughout the day. There are also two restaurants and a pizzeria nearby.
Drinking water is available free of charge.
Please note that it is not possible to cook inside the bungalow, and there are no food stores in the vicinity.
Location
Phra Thong Island (approx. 100 km2 ; 15 km long x 7 km wide) is located about 5 km off Thailand's west coast, in the Andaman Sea. It lies 200 km north of Phuket, in the Kura Buri district of Phang Nga province. It is part of a group of three islands close to the mainland: Koh Kho Khao, Koh Phra Thong and Koh Ra. Three villages are located on the island: Thapa Yoi, Thung Dap and Pad Chok (Lion Village).
The island's east coast is covered in mangroves, with fine sandy beaches. Tourism has not been overly developed. As a result, biodiversity is still rich.
The climate
Phra Thong Island has a tropical climate, with intermittent rainfall throughout the year. There are two main seasons: the rainy season (April to November) and the dry season (December to March). The average temperature is 28.7°C.
Arrival on site
There are several options for getting to Phra Thong Island.
- You can fly to Bangkok, then to Phuket or Ranong, to take a bus to Khura Buri. From Phuket, the bus takes about 4 hours to reach Khura Buri. On arrival at Khura Buri, you'll need to take a cab or moped to the pier, from where you'll take the boat. Naucrates can help you arrange transport to the pier.
- From Phuket, you can also take a cab to Khura Buri. Ask Naucrates about costs.
- You can also take a bus from Bangkok (South Terminal) to Phuket and get off at Khura Buri. The bus journey takes around 11 hours, and only the VIP bus is really worth taking!
- You can take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, then catch a bus to Khura Buri.
- You'll join a sea turtle conservation team on a remote island, far from Western luxury.
- You'll discover incredible flora and fauna while living on a tropical island.
- You'll be collecting garbage on beaches while conducting scientific research on plastic pollution.
- You'll learn about Thai culture by living as close as possible to the island's inhabitants.
- You will take care of the mangrove forest, the coral reefs, the turtles...
About the partner NGO
Naucrates is an Italian NGO that has been conducting a study and conservation project on the sea turtles, mangroves and coral reefs of Phra Thong Island since 1996. It works in collaboration with the Phuket Marine of Phuket (PMBC). The project is registered with the National Research Council of Thailand. In parallel with the scientific work, which has enabled conservation strategies to be developed and applied to the nesting sea turtle population, a program involving local communities is being carried out. These community activities are essentially focused on raising awareness of biodiversity conservation. Awareness-raising work is also carried out with tourists.