Placement: Perhentian turtle and marine awareness volunteer program

Only volunteers who have registered with Ecoteer can contact placements. Registration is quick and easy and can be done online.

Leaf Monkey’s are found near our resort

About the Placement

Learn about the island environment and engage with tourists during your first week at Bubbles Dive Resort. Then live in the village, inspiring the villagers and their children to play their part in marine conservation, spread the word to tourists all around the islands and do all that during your second week whilst protecting the most important turtle nesting beach in the islands on Seribu Pinang.



Be part of Help Our Penyus first official year and help us to unify turtle conservation and marine awareness in the most beautiful islands in Malaysia the Perhentian Islands. Green turtles are in dire need of our help especially in Terengganu (Malaysia) where all 4 marine turtles nest but three of them the hawksbill, Olive ridley and Leatherbacks are almost locally extinct. The populations of green Turtles in the area have also decreased by 80% in little over 50 years, dont let this species go locally extinct as well.



Even though a turtle conservation program has run for a few years in Perhentian, 2011 will be our first official year (2010 was our pilot year). With the backing of the Perhentian Resorts Association, government and villagers we are joining together all the stakeholders of the Perhentian Islands unifying turtle conservation throughout these picture perfect islands.





Key aspects


1 Protect two turtle nesting beaches


2 Turtles need Trees and English Club at the local primary school

3 Spreading environmental awareness amongst tourists

4 Intro and learning week at Bubbles

5 Live in the village from week 2



How is it responsible

1. Clear aim - to double the sea turtle nesting population from 2010 by 2060;

2. Low tourist impact, max 6 volunteers at bubbles and 10 in village, recycling at Bubbles, educate other tourists;

3. Contribution to local community - RM1000 per volunteer per week in village;

4. Environmental and cultural conservation, first week learn about the environment and culture, educate other tourists, learn Malay language, protect two turtle nesting beaches, marine awareness for tourists and 60+ primary school children;

Role of Volunteer

Day 1(Monday) arrive in Kuala Besut, travel to island. Water confidence session. A program brief and dinner finishes day 1 (L, D)



Day 2 (Tuesday) Take your first malay language lesson before lunch. After listen to a turtle talk and conduct the turtle drill. You will be set a small task to learn about sea turtles which you will present the following day. Conduct evening chores. After dinner start your first turtle watch duties (8pm til 3am then 3am til 8am). (B, L, D)



Days 3-5 follow similar routine to tuesday but study coral, fish and the forest. Evening dinner is always followed by volunteers talking to the new guests about sea turtles. Turtle watch duties at night(B. L, D).



Day 6 (Saturday) Present your forest task to the group. The weekends are the busy period for the resort so this will be your chance to interact with the guest more. You may be asked to help with leading water confidence sessions, leading forest walks or organizing games for the children. In the evening the turtle talk is often followed by the showing of a marine documentary for example Sharkwater. Turtle watch duties at night (B. L, D).



Day 7 (Sunday) Volunteers take a much needed day off. Turtle watch duties at night (B, L, D)



Day 8 (Monday) Take a mid morning boat to the village followed by a tour. Lunch with the co-ordinators then program brief where you will be given your food allowance. Settle into your new surroundings, first group head off to Seribu Pinang to protect the most popular turtle nesting beach in Perhentian. Non-turtle watch group relax in the village. (B, L, D).



Day 9 & 10 Non turtle watch volunteers host an info booth in the village (11am til 2pm) talk to any passing tourists and villagers about conservation. In the afternoon prepare for either the English club or the TnT club. In the early evening (depending on tide) the turtle watch group head off to Seribu Pinang. (B, L, D)



Day 11 Final prep for the school club in the morning. Lunch then between 2-5pm perform the club. Turtle watch group head off to Pinang Seribu (B, L, D).



Day 12-13 Group heads off to a popular tourist beach to host the info booth from 10am to 6pm. Run animal sand building contests, quizzes and other activities to engage the tourists in marine conservation. Turtle watch duties at night (B. L, D).)



Day 14 (Sunday) Volunteers staying for 2 weeks take a midday boat back to the mainland with continuing volunteers heading off to another popular beach resort hosting the info booth. (B, L, D)



Day 15 (Monday) New volunteers arrive at the village whilst current volunteers take a day off. New volunteers to do turtle watch at Seribu Pinang. (B, L, D)



Day 16-27 Follow the same schedule from day 9.

Travel Information

We start every monday from 14th March 2011



Costs

Malaysian

1 week RM999 (RM800 spent in village)

2 weeks RM1799 (RM1600 spent in village)

3 weeks RM2699 (RM2400 spent in village

4 weeks RM3599 (RM3200 spent in village)



Non-Malaysian

2 weeks GBP599 (GBP180 spent in village)

3 weeks GBP799 (GBP360 spent in village)

4 weeks GBP999 (GBP540 spent in village)





Volunteers are collected from Kuala Besut





Included

Return boat transfer to Perhentian Islands;

Marine park fee

Food and accommodation;

Triple share fan rooms;

1 snorkel tour;

All boat transfers;





Not included

Scuba diving;

Travel to Kuala Besut;

Travel insurance;

Photo Gallery

Our exclusive paradise bay 

Leaf Monkey’s are found near our resort 

Female Green Turtles nest on our beach 

Help teach the children about marine issues 

Clean up the beach and reuse what you find