Posted by Rick Civelli | 05.22.2013 | Sea Turtle Camp News

Diving into Sea Turtle Camp 2013

The ocean is warming up. Sunny days are getting longer. And North Carolina just recorded its first nest of the season with a loggerhead down the coast on Oak Island. With the arrival of warmer temperatures and nesting mothers that means that summer is just around the corner, and we at Sea Turtle Camp are now in full camp-mode. As check-in dates fast approach, we are excited about many improvements in store for the year, starting with our summer staff.

We are pleased to have a crop of new enthusiastic instructors joining our veteran past trip leaders. This combination of excitement and experience will create an ideal learning environment, whether at the hospital in North Carolina, on the nesting beaches of Costa Rica, or in the crystal waters of Hawaii. To learn more about who will be directing the program nearest you, check out our staff instructor bios here

In additional to seeking out the best instructors, we’ve also found some of the best opportunities for students to learn about and work with sea turtles in a fun, interactive setting:

In our Marine Biology Adventure, Immersion, and Scuba Camps we continue our long-standing partnership with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. They are on the brink of moving into a new facility, showing students how a dream starting with one turtle can grow into a 10,000 square foot facility reality. With over 60 turtles in residence, it looks to be a great summer in North Carolina.

Our Costa Rica Sea Turtle Adventure returns to the shores of the Caribbean Coast for another season of green sea turtle nesting and leatherback hatching. This all-female program will allow girls to join the nesting patrol team monitoring both the mothers coming ashore and their subsequent nests. We will take measurements and collect data on the adult females, while excavating previously laid nests and helping the hatchlings to the ocean. Included in our journey across beautiful Costa Rica will be a whitewater rafting trip, rainforest canopy zip-line, Spanish language lessons, and a trip to a sea turtle hospital.

The  Hawaii Sea Turtles program will delve into the coastal treasures that abound along the island of Oahu. The Hawaiian Islands  host  several species of sea turtles, and thanks to conservation efforts the green sea turtle population continues to grow. Students will become  familiar with the green turtle, known locally as honu, by interacting with them in the lab, hatchery, and wild. In addition to their marine biology work with turtles and other animals, campers will get to experience the treasures of Hawaii from surfing to an authentic luau.

For those new to the Sea Turtle Camp experience or looking to return for another summer of hands-on, feet-wet marine biology we still have a few remaining spaces in both our Hawaii and Costa Rica travel programs. Give us a call  (910-686-4611) to determine what the right fit is for you this summer!