You get to free a charapas turtle into the wild!

For over ten years, we’ve been partnering with the local Mandi Wasi organization in the Charapas Turtle Project. The eggs of this endangered species of turtle are often eaten as food by people in the area

To protect the species, the Quechua women involved in the Mandi Wasi organization collect the eggs from a sandbar nearby their community. Once the eggs hatch, the turtles are kept for two months while they grow large enough to be released. That’s when you come in. We arrange and pay for the privilege of letting these little creatures go into the wild.

This is where the adventure, fun, and sustainability all line up and form one of the best experiences we have to offer in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

After your community encounter at the Mandi Wasi organization, one of the guides will collect the turtles from the women and bring them onto to the canoe in a cooler. We’ll cruise over to the sandbar just a minute away and step out of the canoe.

The guide will hand you your very own turtle to release. You’ll hold it gently between two fingers, being careful to not let it go. You might think of turtles as being slow, but these little roadrunners are anxious to get into the water.

This is a picture perfect moment and the guides will be happy to take your picture or video as you release your turtle. The guide draws a line in the sand a couple feet from the lapping water. You’ll set the turtle down and watch as it sprints to the water and swims away.

You’re participation in this activity helps support the Mandi Wasi organization, and the payment they receive from us because of your participation allows them to continue to provide this sustainable tourism service.