Oyster Worldwide
Vitals
- GYA Accredited Since: Unaccredited by the GYA. Please see the Standards for more information.
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Enrolling:
- Mission Statement:
At Oyster, our commitment lies in offering distinctive and rewarding programs that set us apart. With a diverse portfolio spanning over 25 destinations worldwide, we provide demanding yet enriching experiences tailored to your interests and duration preferences. Whether you seek a full gap year adventure, a career break, or a unique two-week holiday, Oyster offers programs suited to your needs. Our expertise extends to facilitating paid work opportunities in esteemed destinations like Canadian ski resorts and the Australian Outback, as well as providing meaningful internship and volunteer experiences in animal welfare, conservation, teaching and tours.
Our dedicated team of travel experts ensures seamless management of your journey, providing personalized attention and thorough preparation before departure. In-country support from our experienced staff, including orientation courses and language training, further enhances your experience. With programs ranging from 1 week to 12 months, Oyster specializes in offering opportunities that align with your aspirations and make a positive impact from day one. -
Level of Independence/Supervision (mouse-over for definition):
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Attachments
Program Locations
Typical Itinerary
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
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W e e k 1 |
Arrive to San Jose Airport to be privately collected and taken to a comfortable city hotel. | A chaperone will meet you at the hotel in the morning and will wait until you are boarded and on your way. You will arrive at the project later in the day and enjoy a welcome orientation, lunch and dinner. | This project is dynamic but you will be sure to be taking part in range of activities each night/day depending on when in the season you arrive. | Example of task: Beach patrols occur at night to monitor turtle nesting, lasting up to 3 hours, involving searching for turtles and nests, recording data, transferring eggs to the hatchery, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. | Example of task: Hatchery monitoring, approximately 2 hours per day, involves checking for new hatchlings, sometimes hourly during busy times. | Example of task: Releasing baby turtles is a remarkable event where volunteers assist in setting the hatchlings on a path to the ocean after they emerge from the hatchery. Duties include writing up patrol data, cleaning equipment | |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
|
W e e k 2 |
Sundays are usually reserved for free time: Free time activities include exploring the coastline and rainforest, relaxing in hammocks, participating in local football games, arranging local trips, sponsoring turtles or nests, and painting personal signs. | Example of task: Visiting a local school and helping educate the children about the importance of conservation. Working in the tree nursery in town to encourage native species. | Return to San Jose hotel in reverse, or continue for more weeks! | Escorted back to the airport from the city hotel in time for your flight. |
This itinerary shows the typical week for a volunteer who is Costa Rica working with sea turtle conservation.
Volunteering abroad with animals, particularly sea turtles, is a meaningful opportunity to actively contribute to their conservation, especially as turtle populations worldwide are declining. Costa Rica turtle conservation projects offer a chance to protect adult and baby turtles, playing a crucial role in preserving the species for future generations. Additionally, the stunning beach settings of these projects provide an unforgettable experience, with volunteers often describing them as the most beautiful in Costa Rica. Patrolling under the Milky Way, relaxing in hammocks, and releasing baby turtles into the sea create lasting memories. Despite the beauty, the presence of plastic pollution underscores the importance of participating in weekly beach clean-up patrols, offering a gratifying way to make a tangible difference in protecting these vulnerable creatures and their environment.
Program Outcomes
- Confidence from travelling independently and overcoming challenges
- Cultural immersion
- Resilience - spending time in a remote location away from friends and family
- Teaching skills and experience
- Increased fluency in Spanish
- Interpersonal skills - getting along with project co-ordinators, children and the group
- Appreciating the beauty of Costa Rica and the importance of conservation
- Self-knowledge
- Discovering the value of service learning
Costa Rica boasts pristine, tropical beaches that serve as crucial nesting grounds for turtles. However, despite this idyllic setting, the sea turtle population is rapidly declining due to various threats, including natural predation and human interference such as poaching and industrial fishing. Collaborating with a reputable NGO, local communities, and fellow volunteers, participants in this project play a vital role in protecting nesting turtles and their eggs, ensuring the survival of more adult and baby turtles as they journey to the sea. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers in recent years, thousands more turtles have been able to thrive in these vulnerable habitats.
Program Details
- Program Starts: Fall, Summer
- Program Duration: Less than 2 months, Semester
- Typical Program Cost: from $2000
- Program Financial Aid: No
Staff Training and Certification
All of our UK staff have travelled extensively and have taken a gap year themselves. They are passionate about our programs and want to help you gain as much from your experience as they did.
Oyster was awarded Gap Year Travel Specialists of the Year 2018 by SME News in the 2018 UK Enterprise Awards.
Oyster is also a proud member of the Year Out Group UK. Oyster ensures full financial protection for participants; projects booked without flights are covered by IPP (International Passenger Protection), while those booked with flights are protected by our ATOL (number 9598).