Adult Trip - Turtle and Marine Conservation
Greece

You will have the chance to get involved in an exciting 6 day conservation programme, including turtle nesting beach surveys, nest checks, harbour surveys of the turtle population, snorkel surveys of sea grass meadows and a coastal clean-up. These activities will be accompanied a series of educational presentations throughout the week. You will be providing essential resource to support the ongoing conservation work.

The programme runs from Thursday morning to the following Tuesday lunchtime (6 days). You will meet the team in Argostoli town each day and transport is provided for activities that are not within walking distance.

Here is a typical itinerary for the July and August trip dates. July is turtle nesting season and August is the transition between turtle nesting and turtle hatching season.

During your free time, you can explore the many attractions of Kefalonia or just pick one of the many beautiful beaches to relax on! We recommend having a few extra days before or after the project to fully enjoy the island.

What will we be doing?

Harbour survey of adult turtles

Over 300 adult and sub-adult sea turtles swim in the bay of Argostoli throughout the summer. Every morning, many turtles visit the town harbour, where fishing boats return with the morning's catch.

During harbour surveys, you will observe these turtles and record information about their foraging, social behaviours and any health concerns such as turtles who have swallowed or become entangled with fishing hooks and lines.

Turtle nesting beach surveys and nest checks

Every year loggerhead sea turtles migrate to Kefalonia to feed and reproduce, with female turtles laying their eggs on the sandy beaches of the island. Unfortunately, the turtle population is now under great pressure from both human and natural threats.

Morning surveys and nest checks (July and August)

Starting early in the morning before tourists arrive, you will help survey the beaches of Kefalonia to monitor hatching sea turtle nests, walking along the beach in groups to check turtle nests. If a new potential nest is found, you will help the team to locate and protect the nest. For existing nests, you will help check them and look for any hatchling tracks to make sure they are heading to sea! The team may also collect litter from the beach depending on the schedule.

Evening nest checks (August only)

It is important to regularly review the data collected for each nest and check how the nest is progressing. A nest inventory may be required, which involves carefully digging the nest and counting eggshells (hatched / unhatched). You will observe the team carrying out these checks. Occasionally, a few live hatchlings are found stuck in the nest so they are released to make their way to the sea!

Snorkel surveys of seagrass meadows

Seagrass meadows are a more effective carbon sink than the rainforest and play a critical role in combating climate change. They form an important ecosystem, providing habitats for many species including turtles, monk seals and several types of fish.

You will take part in snorkelling on the surface of the sea, in waters around 5m deep, to help map the sea floor and seagrass. You will snorkel together in teams of 3-4 holding on to a pool noodle to keep together and no diving down is allowed. You will wear life vests, fins, mask & snorkel and you will be accompanied by two safety supervisors, on the shore and sea (on a paddleboard). The data collection involves taking photos on a GoPro, recording GPS and depths. Snorkel shifts will only take place in suitable sea and weather conditions.

Coastal clean-ups

The island of Kefalonia is susceptible to plastic pollution and waste which affects turtles, sea birds and many other marine and terrestrial species. The team carry out regular beach and coastal clean-ups which you will help with.

Presentations

You will receive presentations which cover the aims of the conservation work, scientific methods you are using, turtle biology and health, fish ID and broader conservation topics like climate change.

Requirements

You should be:

• Able to do beach walks of at least 2km in hot conditions, including over rocky ground 
• Able to swim confidently 
• Comfortable snorkelling

Other participants

There are up to around 16 participants on the trip.

Local support

You will be working alongside the local team, including field leaders and assistants. You will have a leader that guides you on each shift.

Accommodation is not included and you have the freedom to choose accommodation that suits you - there are many fantastic choices, from hotels to apartments, covering a wide range of budgets from the simple to the luxurious!

The meeting point for all activities is in Argostoli and on some days the sessions are spread out with gaps in between, so the most convenient place to stay is in Argostoli town. You can come back to your accommodation to rest and relax between sessions.

Alternatively, if you rent a car, then you may also want to look at accommodation in other areas, such as Lassi which has more accommodation with swimming pools.

Booking.com is a good place to find hotels and apartments in Argostoli and Lassi. It is also possible to book accommodation & flights as a package through a travel agency such as Tui or Jet2holidays.

There are many beautiful beaches along the coast from Lassi to Argostoli which you can visit to swim, sunbathe, and relax. Argostoli town itself has a bustling town square, supermarkets, tourist shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.

Meals

Meals are not included. There are lots of cafes and restaurants nearby, giving you a great choice of Greek and international food, including vegetarian and vegan options. Depending on your accommodation choice and if you want to self-cater there are good supermarkets in Argostoli town and smaller mini-markets near the beaches.

The water on Kefalonia is safe to drink. 

You will need to fly into Kefalonia (EFL).

Location and free time

Kefalonia is an island in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece.

Argostoli is the daily meeting point and is the main town and harbour on the island. It's a perfect base to explore from, heading along the coast by road and you can also take a ferry over to Lixouri (which takes about 30 minutes) and explore that side of the island.

Popular activities in Kefalonia include:

• Beach heaven – beautiful beaches all around the island for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing during your free time
• Caves, lakes and mountains – there are ancient caves to visit with stalactites, azure blue waters and underground chambers. Mount Ainos is the highest point on the island and a national park with lots of biodiversity and stunning views
• Sea kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving. Enjoy crystal clear and warm, see the abundant local marine life or go deeper and dive the sunken wrecks of submarines and landing craft from WWII
• Island hopping – the islands of Ithaca, Lefkas and Zante are a ferry ride away or can be visited via day trips on tourist boats

For more information on Greece and some of the things we loved when we visited there please see our Greece country page.

Climate 

Kefalonia has a Mediterranean climate with dry, hot summers with long sunny days. In July and August, temperatures are usually around 30°C+.

Alison

“Volunteering with turtles was an incredible experience. Very well organised! The team were happy to answer all my questions before booking. The staff looking after us on the project were very knowledgeable. The work that goes into protecting the turtles to ensure they reach the sea successfully is exceptional. Learnt so much and feel proud that we have helped these magnificent endangered animals. Would highly recommend!”

Lynne 

“The experience was incredibly, full of life-long memories. Alex from Pod Volunteer was incredibly helpful throughout the planning stage. We received detailed information about all aspects of the trip and plenty of advice on what to pack and what to expect before throughout the lead-up to the trip. Everyone at the wildlife organisation we helped was also incredibly knowledgable, friendly and helpful. The whole trip was incredibly well planned and communication throughout was excellent. As with any trip involving nature there is always an element of the unknown with what you will see and experience, but these expectations were carefully managed by the leaders and Pod Volunteer. I can not recommend this experience highly enough and would definitely use Pod Volunteer again in the future for any other volunteering holiday I plan.”

Oli

“The team’s enthusiasm and knowledge really inspired and the week long activities gave us a wonderful insight into everything they do. The activities are usually just half a day so there is still time for more typical summer holiday fun but having a purpose each day, not to mention the absolute joy in seeing the turtles and hatchlings, changed what would be a regular beach holiday to a trip that has had a far greater emotional impact. Absolutely recommended!”

Anon

“I couldn't be happier with the experience! From the start, Pod Volunteer was fantastic, helpful, organised, and communicative, making the whole process easy and stress-free. The project itself was incredibly rewarding as well as educational, allowing us to get hands-on with vital turtle conservation efforts. The local team was passionate and knowledgeable, and Pod Volunteer’s excellent ongoing support and coordination during the trip made everything run so smoothly. We can’t recommend Pod Volunteer highly enough!”