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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

“WE CANNOT PROTECT THE WORLD’S WILDLIFE UNLESS WE ALSO PROTECT THE NEEDS OF THE HUMANS THAT RELY ON IT.”

—GAIA VINCE, "RESCUE OF THE OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE"

SCIENCE

Scientific research allows us to make informed and strategic management decisions
for the conservation of the environment.

COMMUNITY

Engaging with our community ensures a healthy balance between social, environmental, and economic interests ensures successful conservation and a sustainable future.

EDUCATION

Building a better understanding of our environment and how we interact with it inspires a new generation of change makers.

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WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

SCIENCE • COMMUNITY • EDUCATION

Our key focus areas are wildlife and environmental conservation, community outreach, education, sustainable tourism, and sustainable development. Learn more about the Wildlife Conservation Association's programs and initiatives.
THOUSANDS OF
TURTLES TOURS

Duration: 2 hrs (tour times vary, start times typically 5–7 am or 3–8 pm)

Meeting Point: your hotel or vacation rental

Price: $150 base fee + $35 per person (8 max)

Join us on an awe-inspiring educational experience to witness thousands of turtles nesting at Ostional. Local guide, community fund donation, taxes and fees are included. Book now and we'll take care of the rest. 

BOOK NOW
BLUE SEAS TOURS:
HALF-DAY BOAT EXPEDITIONS

Duration: 4 hrs (8 am–12 pm or 2–6 pm)


Meeting Point: Pilos Bar, Playa Garza


Price: $550 flat fee (up to 10 people)


Go on a boat expedition with National Geographic explorer and marine biologist Dr. Vanessa Bezy. Have the opportunity to observe sea turtles mating and swimming in the open ocean, as well as other marine life such as dolphins and rays, stop at a sunken ship to snorkel and learn about coral reef ecosystems.

BOOK NOW
DIVE DEEPER EXPEDITION:
CUSTOM MULTI-DAY PACKAGE

Duration: 3 days


Meeting Point: your hotel or vacation rental


Price: starting from $245 per person for a group of 10 people

Dive deeper with our immersive 3 day Dive Deeper Expedition at The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. Head out on a boat excursion to observe sea turtles and marine life in the ocean. Snorkel and learn about coral reef ecosystems. Visit a sea turtle hatchery. Witness the arribadas—a year-round simultaneous sea turtle nesting event. Experience pura vida (pure life) with Costa Rican lunch and dinner. Plus more!

THOUSANDS OF TURTLES
The Ostional Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica to protects one of the world’s most important nesting sites of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. Thousands of sea turtles come to one specific mile of beach at Ostional to dig their eggs into the black, volcanic sand. These mass nesting emergences are called "arribadas", the Spanish word for arrivals. Watch the video and marvel at this rarely-seen biological wonder.
WCA TOURS
OUR PROGRAMS
Immerse yourself in our educational tours and activities. Take an adventure and dip your toes into our one day tours and activities. Dive into our Dive Deeper Expeditions. Book a tour that fits your area of interests. From sea turtle tours to wildlife photography to nature tours, we have a wide range of tour packages. Learn more about the Wildlife Conservation Association's tours and activities.
DONATE TO
OUR CAUSE

Our work is made possible by generous donors. Donate to the cause and help us ensure a sustainable future for the Ostional Refuge.

PARTNERSHIPS
& MEMBERSHIPS

Join us to make a difference through a individual or family membership or institutional partnership. Become a change maker now!

OUR AMAZON
WISH LIST

Donate with an in-kind donation from our amazon wishlist. Pack it in your suitcase. Contact us when you arrive. Donate locally too!

OUR EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Learn about wildlife conservation, sea turtles, biodiversity, sustainability, and water quality monitoring with our educational videos in English and Spanish on YouTube.
Be ocean minded and reduce your carbon footprint with WCA sustainable apparel and merchandise. Say goodbye to the fast fashion industry and its unsustainable business practices and production processes. Be a knowledgeable consumer about a product's lifecycle and its impact on wildlife and the environment. Check out our sustainable and fashionable apparel and merchandise.

OUR MISSION

The Wildlife Conservation Association was established in 2018 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and other wildlife at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica. 

The Ostional Refuge is renowned for hosting large mass-nesting events and featuring the densest concentrations of sea turtles on Earth. The area’s burgeoning tourism-driven development threatens local wildlife, human health, and the economy. Our organization is protecting this important habitat by leading scientific research, community participation, and educational programs to enact comprehensive solutions to conservation challenges.
 

OUR VISION

Our vision is to be a guiding model in wildlife conservation by demonstrating community, economic and environmental benefits. We have achieved a lot so far, but our ambition goes further. 

 

Our goal is to establish a campus which focuses on sustainability and protecting the environment. The Ostional Nosara Sustainability Campus represents an effort to fulfill the social, economic, and environmental needs of the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and the communities that depend on it. This initiative will enable and strengthen the existing participatory conservation model by promoting collaborative initiatives for sustainable development in the area. The Campus will bring the local, expat and tourist communities and initiatives together to protect the environment and improve the quality of life in the area.

WCA SUSTAINABLE STORE
Meet Dr  Bezy
30:52
Meet Dr Bezy
A Sea Turtle's Life
32:31
A Sea Turtle's Life
Sea Turtle Arribada
25:35
Sea Turtle Arribada
Sea Turtle Research & what its like to be a sea turtle biologist
29:36
Sea Turtle Research & what its like to be a sea turtle biologist
Watch and learn from Dr. Vanessa Bezy what it's like to be a sea turtle biologist.
Threats to sea turtles
28:40
Threats to sea turtles
Watch and learn all about the threats to sea turtles from sea turtle biologist Dr. Vanessa Bezy.
Explorer Classroom | The Life of a Sea Turtle with Vanessa Bezy
30:21
Explorer Classroom | The Life of a Sea Turtle with Vanessa Bezy
Explorer Classroom | Studying Sea Turtle Behavior with Vanessa Bezy
45:16
Explorer Classroom | Studying Sea Turtle Behavior with Vanessa Bezy
Tiny Desk Adventures: Sea turtle arribadas with Dr. Vanessa Bezy
03:44
Tiny Desk Adventures: Sea turtle arribadas with Dr. Vanessa Bezy
In 3 minutes and 40-second Tiny Desk Adventure, Dr. Vanessa Bezy will welcome you to the wonderful world of sea turtle arribadas! What is an arribada? Well, watch the video to find out, and witness what might well be one of the greatest gatherings of sea turtles on earth! Make sure you watch right to the end and we guarantee you will watch it at least two more times! Settle into this video and store up your questions for our live Q & A with this amazing Tiny Desk Adventurer on Friday the 22nd of May at 8pm. You can also follow Shaylyn (and ogle her photos) @save.our.plankton on Instagram. The whole series including the live Q&A's and other resources (including some inspirational thoughts from our guests) are available at https://Oceanswell.org. If you enjoyed this, please subscribe to our youtube channel, and like and share this post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - @OceanswellOrg
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PROTECTING COSTA RICA'S GREATEST SEA TURTLE SANCTUARY

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