During week 3 of the Learn Spanish & Volunteer program our volunteers  move to Hawaii beach for a placement at ARCAS wildlife & turtle sanctuary. Here our efforts are centered around sea turtles and the hatchery (in season) and rehabilitation efforts for other species cared for here.

Originally established as a destination for confiscated trafficked wildlife, Columbus Zoo assisted in establishing the rescue centre and has supported ARCAS ever since.

ARCAS is working with the Guatemalan government’s National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) to establish a 4000+ hectare protected area to help ensure the conservation of the last remaining mangroves in Guatemala as well as protecting the country’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches.

Animal rehabilitation efforts focus on yellow naped parrots, orange-fronted parakeet, sweet water turtles, iguanas, the occasional caiman and pelican, and of course sea turtles – Olive Ridley (approx. 90%), Green and Leatherback.

There are three ‘hatcheries’ at Hawaii beach (3km from Monterrico), where volunteers will be based and a further one a little way up the coast at Rosario. Each hatchery can contain up to 200 nests; last year 80,000 eggs where incubated of which 80% hatched.

The official turtle season, including nesting, on the Pacific coast runs between June 1st and end of January and towards the end of the season, only baby turtles will be seen by volunteers. In the first few months of each new season, generally only nesting adult turtles are seen.

The non-turtle months are February – April, but there is still a lot of work to be done in preparation for the new nesting season, as well as community projects, which run all year round.

You’ll be protecting the eggs and hatchlings of Olive Ridley, Green and Leatherback species, who visit this intensive nesting beach at night to nest. In Guatemala it is still legal to collect and sell turtle eggs. However, ‘Parlameros’ as the fishermen are called are obliged to give 20% of their catch to ARCAS in return for a receipt that certifies that they are permitted to sell the remaining 80% of their catch.

This makes it especially important for our volunteers on night patrols to spot turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs and mark the nest before the Parlameros mark the nest! The relationship between Parlameros and ARCAS is surprisingly friendly and cooperative however, and there are never conflicts regarding who spots and marks a nest first.