This is for real! For 3 weeks I was working as a volunteer for Ocean Spirits on Grenada and only saw sun, sea and beach.

Yes, I have been bitten by the volunteer bug since last year, 2015. I was then volunteering for the Macaw project in the Tambopata Research Centre (Peru) for merely 3 weeks long. It was hard work, but in the end I gained so much knowledge about the behavior and nesting of the macaws and parrots, which was a great advantage for me since I am also a bird guide in Kabalebo (Suriname).

This year, 2016, I decided to step a bit out of my comfort zone and for 3 weeks I was working up close and personal with Leatherback Sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in Grenada. A period that I will never forget and a decision I never regretted.

In 2010 I have seen Leatherback Sea Turtles laying their eggs on the beach in French-Guyana. I was in a tourist group, fascinated by these magnificent creatures coming from the sea, but we merely connected. So I was excited to help the organization, Ocean Spirits, from Grenada in assisting to collect precious data of the Leatherbacks during the nesting season.

I came across their project via the site WorkingAbroad and they were very helpful right from the start. Read more on Armida’s blog