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What We Do

Our Programmes

22 Years of Research

In 2000, Ocean Spirits implemented a 5 year research study in the north east of Grenada with the aim of evaluating the current status of this leatherback sea turtle nesting population. While sporadic studies in previous years had identified nesting activity in Grenada, data collected by Ocean Spirits since 2000 has shown that the nesting site found at Levera beach alone is home to one of the top 5 populations of nesting leatherbacks in the region. Results from this initial study also revealed high levels of illegal egg poaching, which exceeded 90 at some sites. Ocean Spirits is actively tackling this issue and has considerably reduced this threat...(read more)

Education

At Ocean Spirits we believe that any research initiative that seeks to promote change in the way a resource is utilised must have a complimentary educational component that brings to the forefront understanding and awareness of the issues being addressed. The foundation of Ocean Spirits' work is education. Without developing public understanding and awareness, the findings of our research efforts would be worthless in terms of addressing traditional perceptions of a natural resource. To date over 7,000 students ranging from pre-schools to University students have been reached through our educational programs. Each season Ocean Spirits host week long...(read more)

Community

Communities throughout Grenada have historically relied upon turtles as a source of food and income. Coupled with the consumptive use of adults and despite legislation to protect them, turtle eggs continue to be harvested from nesting sites to be sold and distributed throughout the family structure. As all species of turtle become increasingly threatened, Ocean Spirits is working with local communities to utilise this natural resource through means other than consumptive use. One way to achieve this is to demonstrate that the financial value of a nesting turtle is substantially higher than that of its dead counterpart. Through the development...(read more)

Gallery
A few snaps from our project!

Our Team

Our team is a well honed mix of local and international talent

Kate Charles

Project Manager

Kate Charles, is a marine biologist with a passion for sea turtles and the WIDECAST coordinator in Grenada since 2016. She first joined Ocean Spirits in 2010 and now runs the project as well as being the education and outreach Coordinator. She is a keen diver and snorkeler and always looking for eager dive buddies to explore Grenada’s waters as well as sharing her famous pancake breakfast treats.

Kester Charles "Sugar"

Field Manager

Kester Charles (also known as Sugar) has been with the project since 2003 when he successfully completed the turtle watching guide training course and decided he wanted more hands on work. He has remained a key member of the team ever since and co-ordinates day to day life on the project. To add to his skills, Kester is one of the best chefs the project has had!

Clifford Hypolite "Praggi"

Field Research Supervisor

Clifford (but everyone calls him "Praggi") is a lifeguard and fisherman from River Sallee who has worked with the project since 2004. He is a prolific free diver and an expert on everything we do on the beach. Most years, Praggi works more nights than anybody else on Levera, so if you can keep up with him you get a gold star!

Dr. Kenrith Carter

Sea Turtle and Wildlife Veternarian

Dr Carter is a sea turtle and wildlife veterinarian who has been operating his own veterinary practice since 2015. A Grenada WIDECAST coordinator since 2021. Dr Carter regularly volunteers his free time to join the team on patrols, in-water surveys, and off island research. He takes care of sea turtle rehabilitation and surgeries, performing Grenada’s first flipper amputation surgery as a result of an entanglement on a juvenile green.

Steve "Tiger"

Field Research Supervisor

Steve (also known as Tiger) originally joined the project as a diver on the hawksbill programme, but is now seen just as often on Levera. Another fisherman, his discussions with Praggi about the off-shore island currents and where to best catch turtles for tagging can go on for days!

Dr Clare Morrall

President

Dr. Clare Morrall is a Professor in the Department of Biology, Ecology and Conservation in the School of Arts and Sciences, at St. George’s University, Grenada. Dr. Morrall has run and assisted a wide range of shore and ship based research projects in the Caribbean over the past twenty years. Dr. Morrall keenly supports a range of environmental initiatives in the Caribbean. Dr. Morrall is a keen swimmer and a competitive J24 sailor.

Emma Doyle

Scientific Adviser

Emma Doyle, a marine protected areas specialist who focuses on the Wider Caribbean region. She has 15 years’ experience working in environmental management in Latin America and the Caribbean, including some 70 international cooperation projects across a range of themes related to biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, climate change, outreach and education, and coastal tourism.

Carl Lloyd

Director

A long, long time ago Carl setup the monitoring and research work at Levera by Ocean Spirits. But these days he leads a more sedentary life in the hills of North Wales supporting the project from afar. Cocooned away from Society, he now lives a frugal and quiet life, ever hopeful he will encounter the same leatherbacks he met in Grenada dining out on the finest jellyfish the Irish Sea has to offer.

Volunteer With Us

We can't do it with out you!
Volunteers are an essential part of Ocean Spirits and provide the project with the support to collect our research and teach conservation to many school students each season. As a research volunteer, you become part of a small team of dedicated staff and become vital in working together to enable Ocean Spirits to achieve its goals. Volunteering with the world’s largest sea turtle is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many. If you are ready to give up some of your home comforts in exchange for sand between your toes and sea turtles this is the project for you!

Your first night with Ocean Spirits is spent enjoying a locally cooked dinner with fellow new and present volunteers and the project house staff getting to know each other. The next day will be spent on an orientation of the local area and nesting beaches, data collection training and sea turtle biology presentations, with a popular cool down dip in the ocean before dinner. You will then spend your volunteering time monitoring nesting sea turtles and assisting hatchlings with some early morning patrols at sunrise and all night patrols measuring turtles, tagging, counting eggs and relocating nests when needed beneath the stars. Throughout the day you will join in beach profiling, coastal beach surveys, nest excavations (May-Aug), sea turtle junior rangers program, school visits, summer camps and community awareness days. But don’t worry there is still plenty free time to explore the island with lush rainforests, cooling waterfalls, spice markets, cocoa plantations, rum distilleries, snorkeling and much more!

The contributions, dedication and commitment are vital to our project growth. Each volunteer opportunity, although different, contributes an important part to the Organisation as a whole. In short, without volunteer participation the project would not be possible.

To learn more and apply to become an Ocean Spirits Research Volunteer visit our page at Working Abroad or take a peek here or here at the sort of things our volunteers get to take part in with the project.

Project Contact Details

  • +(473) 537 2512
  • PO Box 1373, Grand Anse, Grenada, W.I.
Ocean Spirits turtle work

A short series of highlights of our turtle work at Levera beach WorkingAbroad Projects #oceanspirits #seaturtles #volunteer

Posted by Ocean Spirits on Saturday, 11 March 2017

What our Research Assistants say about their time working with Ocean Spirits Inc.

Spending three weeks at Ocean Spirits was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Working with Leatherbacks is a privilege – not only because they are amazing creatures, but because there is a genuine threat of their extinction – and the programme gives you the best chance to work closely with them & make a...(Read more)

Louise Burns

England
All I can say is that I have enjoyed every single day during my time in Grenada. Just like in any Caribbean country/island I felt the warm welcome from the locals and everyone who was staying there. Not a single second I felt homesick, as there was no time for self-sorrow. The people from Ocean Spirits needed...(Read more)

Armida Madngisa

Suriname
It seems practically impossible to cover the entity of my three weeks with Ocean Spirits in brief, so let me focus on my favorite part – the night surveys. Levara, a 1,53 km stretch of beach, palm-fringed and white sanded, became my terrain throughout the nights I worked as part of my volunteer program in May...(Read more)

Anne Fritsch

Germany
Ocean Spirits is without a doubt one of my favourite experiences and I’d urge anyone who can to do it. I volunteered last February for 6 weeks and had never been away from home on my own, never met a turtle and never got a flight by myself. I threw myself in the deep end and honestly haven’t looked back...(Read more)

Hayden Bridgeman

Isle of Wight, UK
We volunteered at Ocean Spirits in Grenada for 9 weeks as an extended honeymoon. In preparing for our trip, Vicky at Working Abroad, and Kester and Kate at Ocean Spirits were all very helpful and friendly which was much appreciated and made us even more excited about the adventure ahead...(Read more)

Amey & David Cull

England

Contact Us

Please use the form below to contact us

Grenada Sea Turtle Hotline

The Grenada Sea Turtle Hotline is an informational service aimed at assisting the public with sea turtle issues. The service also aims to gather information about sea turtle sightings outside of the main research sites in Grenada.

Call the POLICE if:
1. Hard-shelled species: If they are being caught or slaughtered during the closed season (April 1st – August 31st)
2. Sea Turtle Eggs are being poached (all species, any time)
3. Leatherback sea turtles are being slaughtered (any time of year)

Call the HOTLINE:
1. To report nesting sea turtles or emerging hatchlings
2. For help dealing with stranded, injured or entangled sea turtles
3. For assistance in dealing with hatchlings in trouble

You can also report non-urgent sightings to info@oceanspirits.org

If you can't be with us...

We know not everyone can join Ocean Spirits in the field, but so much of our support comes from those nice people who help us through what they can do where they are.

Why Donate to Ocean Spirits? Ocean Spirits Inc. is a non-profit organisation that relies entirely on volunteers, grants and donations to successfully carry out its work. We have a successful track record of over 20 years working for turtle conservation. Using our funding for research (currently the longest running sea turtle survey in Grenada), community outreach (training local staff in research and conservation), educational programmes, summer camps, field trips and school presentations.

Ways you can donate Donating funds can help us, as we will have the flexibility to use it where it is most needed. Your funds may go towards hiring local staff to help carry out our night surveys, fuel for the project car to keep it on the road, buying supplies for the project or help towards operating the education programme. If you'd like to donate please visit the WIDECAST donation gateway and follow the instructions - its easy!

Buy Ocean Spirits Gear! Support our work, promote our work and be a proud owner of our unique sea turtle themed gear!

Adopt your very own nesting leatherback from Grenada! The only difference than seeing her on the beach is she'll come to you...sort of :) Our new adoption programme in partnership with Sea-loved.net will be coming soon, so check back here soon!

Buy Ocean Spirits T-Shirts

T-shirts also available on island at Aquanauts or you can buy direct from us. Sizes available in S,M,L, XL and in various colours. Donating Equipment and Material Sometimes we just don't have all the funds we need to get the equipment that allows us to do our work. This can range from waterproof notepads to walkie-talkies to project vehicles! Below is a list of things we are trying to source and purchase for our next nesting season. Please contact us if you are interested in donating one or more of these items. We can assist you in sourcing certain items, particularly field kit but please do not post us donated materials without contacting us first, as we may need to organise relevant permits.

Equipment List:

  • Digital Camera or GOPro with Aquapac for field photos must have flash-free option.
  • Heavy duty, water-proof 2-way walky-talkies radios – for field survey safety and communication.
  • Strong kit bags to carry research gear on night patrols
  • Rite-in-the-rain waterproof field notebooks (type) – collecting data on boats and remote field sites, esp. during rain and near water environments.
  • Rechargeable batteries and chargers (AA and AAA types). Must work on 220V but 110 also possible.
  • Misc. Educational project materials – drawing paper, coloring pencils, coloring pens, kid-safe scissors, water-paint, glue sticks, sharpeners, kids toys.(e.g. ) bat, ball, skipping rope, board games, jig saws, etc.
  • Office supplies – US letter sized paper, permanent markers/sharpies, file folders, printer ink (HP office jet 4630 ink), photo paper.
  • Snorkel Gear is always valuable for our in-water work – mask, snorkel, fins, etc.

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