Whale watching in Costa Rica
The Marino Ballena National Park
South Pacific tours and adventures
The Marino Ballena National Park was founded on February 6, 1989 as Costa Rica's first maritime national park. The boundaries of the national park were gradually expanded, and today the Marino Ballena Park covers over 5,300 hectares of water and 115 hectares of land.
The park was created to protect the many animals on the coast and to protect the delicate ecosystem with many coral reefs (18 known species have been discovered here) on the coast. Mangrove forests are often found at the river mouths, providing nesting places for numerous birds.
The park is particularly well-known among visitors for the great opportunity to observe large marine mammals. Dolphins all year round and twice a year whales can be found in transit.
Three species of dolphins can be observed: the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the slender dolphin (Stenella attenuata), which grow up to 2.5 m, as well as the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates, also known as the flipper). can even be up to 4 m long.
Whale watching is a very rare and spectacular experience that can be enjoyed twice a year in NP Marino Ballena. The humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae, up to 18 m long) come near the coast from mid-July to mid-October as they raise their young in the warm water until they have grown enough of their own fat. Therefore mother-child couples are often seen.
The short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) is a small species of whale up to 8 m long that can be observed from December to March. However, the short-finned pilot whales only come in small groups, so it is more difficult to observe them.
You can also see large sea turtles. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green sea turtle, is one of the most common turtles in the Pacific. The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is less common - it is considered the smallest sea turtle.
Whale watching tours are available throughout the coast during specified periods. We recommend choosing Uvita as your starting point. The place is centrally located, the tours are well organized, cost around $50 per person (including entry to the national park) and attention is paid to optimal protection of marine life.
