July 19, 2024 • Travel Ideas
“I saw hope, personified,” said Cindy Wright, describing the journey she recently took with her husband, Bosley, to Trinidad as part of an Oceanic Society turtle volunteer trip. There they supported Oceanic Society’s local partner, Nature Seekers, with sea turtle research and conservation.
Trinidad is home to one of the world’s largest nesting populations of leatherback turtles. “Most of the people in this town, Matura, [Trinidad], work with the turtles as guides or in tourism,” she explained. But the relationship between people and leatherbacks was not always harmonious.
Leatherbacks, which have outlived the dinosaurs, swim 2,300 miles each year from feeding areas in Nova Scotia, Canada down to Trinidad and other areas of the Caribbean to mate and lay their eggs on tropical beaches. Near the coastal town of Matura, up to 300 leatherbacks can arrive in a single night, a phenomenon which today attracts visitors from Trinidad and all over the world.

A leatherback turtle returns to sea after nesting. © Ben J Hicks / benjhicks.com
But 40 years ago, locals struggling for income poached a third of all leatherbacks, putting the colony in Matura on a path toward extinction. The slaughter pushed Suzan Lakhan-Baptiste, a Matura local, to found Nature Seekers and help save the dwindling leatherbacks.
People called Baptiste the “crazy turtle woman”. But through extensive grassroots and political advocacy, Nature Seekers won official protections for leatherbacks. The population began to rebound, and over time it became clear that the ancient creatures also had significant tourism draw.
“I wanted to show that a turtle is [worth] so much more to us alive than dead,” Baptiste told CNN back in 2009.
Now, the community benefits from ecotourism and a thriving turtle population. And through a volunteer trip for adults led by Oceanic Society, Nature Seekers invites people like Cindy and Bosley to lend their hands as sea turtle volunteers supporting their ongoing research and conservation efforts.
“We both got touched in a lot of different ways, not just for what we’re doing but what the local people were doing for their community,” said Bosley.
Finding Inspiration in Matura
Bosley and Cindy, now retired, have a long history advocating for the rights of animals. Bosley learned of the importance of maintaining balance with the ecosystem as a young fly fisherman. Cindy reported on animal abuse during her career in journalism. Today, at their home outside Baltimore, they foster abused cats and dogs and are continually looking for ways to make a difference, which after their trip with Oceanic Society to Trinidad includes volunteer trips abroad.
“I’m looking at travel as: ‘What kind of impact can I make?’” said Cindy, “What can I do? What can I learn? I want to give back on my travels now.”
When they learned about Oceanic Society’s trip to Trinidad, they were initially drawn by the hands-on work with leatherbacks. The trip offers volunteers the opportunity to monitor leatherbacks as they arrive, at night, during peak nesting season. As they nest, leatherbacks enter a trance-like state offering a prime opportunity to microchip them and collect data with minimal disturbance.

Cindy and Bosley observing a leatherback sea turtle in the early morning light near Matura, Trinidad. © Ashleigh Bandimere
Watching the leatherbacks, which grow up to 2,000 pounds, swim onto shore bathed in moonlit water is an experience that will stick with Cindy and Bosley forever. On the first night, they came upon a 1,700-pound leatherback – seemingly the size of a MINI Cooper, according to Bosley.
“It’s like the angels started singing,” said Cindy as she described their first encounter, “Everyone was just beside themselves.”
Having read about leatherbacks’ journey from the eastern coast of Canada down to the Caribbean, Bosley was struck by the context: “You know about that when they come in. They have to go up this level of sand to lay their eggs and they’re exhausted and they’ve lost 200 pounds on the trip. It’s just an absolute marvel.”
As they settled into the work, it was the connection with the community and their fellow travelers that surprised them the most.
“Working with the people there turned out to be just as beautiful and rewarding as working with the turtles,” Cindy explained.
Their group included an 18-year-old who missed his high school graduation ceremony to work in Trinidad and embark on the first steps of his conservation career. They were also joined by a team of locals, including a young woman who worked both as a government official during the day, and with Nature Seekers at night. Bosley connected with a man who left his practice as a doctor in the United States to return to Trinidad and resume work with Nature Seekers, with whom he started his career over 20 years ago.

Suzan Lakhan-Baptiste, founder of Nature Seekers, gives an orientation briefing to sea turtle volunteers with Oceanic Society. © Rosie Jeffrey
But the trip was not without challenges. For the volunteers, night is when the work began. They patrolled the beach each night, wading through piles of seaweed, equipped with turtle-safe flashlights and looking for nesting leatherbacks.
“Do you get the feeling now there was no sleep? Yeah, there was no sleep,” laughed Cindy, “One of the big challenges for me was the instant coffee versus regular coffee.”
The shifts were long and physically challenging – especially for Bosley who is a two-time cancer survivor. But they drew motivation from the enthusiasm of the community.
“When you find those like minded people, and you spend time with them, I think it gives you the inspiration to step up to the challenges,” said Cindy, “We missed no night shifts because we were so excited.”
The Lasting Impact of Volunteer Trips for Adults
Back in the U.S., Cindy and Bosley split their time between their homes in Baltimore and the Florida Keys. While in Florida, they regularly witness humanity’s impact on the environment.
“We see the manatees that have been so scarred by boat propellers… We see what pollution does. We see what ignorance does,” said Cindy.
During a recent kayaking and paddleboarding outing, they stumbled upon a green turtle that was caught in a lobster trap and covered in tumors. They didn’t have a pair of scissors, but Bosley was smoking a cigar which they used to burn away the net, then rush the turtle to a nearby animal hospital. Several surgeries later, the turtle is expected to make a full recovery.
“Now I’m allowed to smoke in my kayak,” Bosley said with a wink.
The spontaneous turtle rescue is just an example of the reinforced commitment both Cindy and Bosley feel for protecting the environment, where despite the global scale of the issue, each individual can play a crucial role in protecting the Earth’s wild places.
“The problem with the Earth is people,” said Bosley, “If you took 100 million people that threw trash in the ocean – and they stopped throwing trash in the ocean – you’d have 100 million less items every day thrown in the water.”
In Trinidad, they witnessed the power of grassroots movements first hand. Even a few determined changemakers can be the spark that transforms an entire community to value the ecosystem, rather than exploit it.
