While it is impossible to guaranty you will see these species during the months outlined below, we have provided the months that they are most commonly sited in the waters of costa rica. Whale watching costa rica the best times and places. They are majestical creatures that we all long to catch a glimpse of. Mar, 2018 arriving at drake bay whale watching in drake bay. Ballena national marine park whale watching costa rica. Whale sharks in costa rica costa rica scuba diving. The divine dolphin, featured on national geographic, animal planet, the travel channel, and in numerous magazines and publications, has been taking people to encounter the glorious dolphins and whales of drake bay, costa rica since 1998. Costa ricas best whale watching drake bay on the osa.
They cover the distances of 5,000 to 8,000 km twice a year. Costa rica whales and dolphins map, tour operator in costa. There are many tours for whale watching in costa rica along the pacific coast. We are lucky enough to have quite a few species here that you may have the opportunity to see such as the humpback whale, the pilot whale, the blue whale, and the sei whale.
Its fairly common to see mom and baby during the beginning of the season as they are rearing and feeding their young. Hola, im lara the new dive master intern at rocket frog. It is the best time of year for whale watching and spotting these magnificent. The zooplankton of this species, which have been eaten by blue whale varied from ocean to ocean depending on the availability. Cocles beach, one of the most best beaches in costa rica. The reason is because during the winter the antarctica august to october, humpbacks migrate from there to costa rica. Costa rica has the longest humpback whale watching season in the world. These long routes make them one of the farthest migrating animals on earth. Their length can extend up to 40 feet and some whale sharks can grow even more than that approximate figure. During decemberapril, you can see whales from alaska, and augustnovember they come from antarctica.
Bottlenose and spotted dolphins frequently escort boats a. Whale watching costa rica, dominical, puntarenas, costa rica. Of course the whales are wild and there is never any guarantee that youll see them, but your captain and guides will be in constant contact by radio with other boats all. Costa rica is a great place for ecotourists to spot dolphins and whales. Halfday tours leave from uvita beach at ballena national marine park and cruise around the humpback whales birthing grounds searching for the worlds largest mammals as well as spotted dolphins, sea turtles and pelagic birds like white ibis and the brown booby. Because of this, costa rica has the longest humpback whale season in the world. Costa rica dolphins and whales come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and will be a great addition to your trip. The best place to go whale watching in costa rica is the countrys pacific coast, as humpback whales migrate through the region between late july and november and again between december and march. Jul 12, 2017 costa rica has the longest humpback whale season in the world. You see them all over the map but specifically in places like the golfo dulce, central pacific, guanacaste, osa peninsula and the tropical waters of the caribbean seeing a wild animal in its natural habitat is always a beautiful thing, but seeing a whale jump from the.
Spectacular humpback whale breaching off the coast of marino ballena. Strictly speaking, there are actually two whale seasons in costa rica. Aug 16, 2017 costa rica is home to the longest season for whale watching in the world, and september kicks off the peak of one of two of the most popular times of year to witness humpback whales who migrate to the warm and rich waters of marino ballena to give birth to their young. It is very important for us to offer our customers a safe adventure journey in which you will also be able to take advantage and make the most of all the marine resources we have in our area, in a responsible and balanced way, appreciating their natural environment, but always looking for ways to intervene as little as possible in their habitat, abiding by the rules established about sightings. Orca comun, espolante habitat open tropical, temperate, and polar seas are home to the orca. Drake bay is a very laid back small town with idyllic beaches well off the beaten path. The warm waters of costa ricas oceans attract whales and dolphins from north and south america. Oct 28, 2017 because of this, costa rica has the longest humpback whale season in the world a family of whales in costa rica. Costa rica is home to many species of marine mammals. Whale and dolphin watching, snorkeling and a visit to natural water caves. Dolphin and whale season in costa rica properties in costa.
The very best time and place is august through october along the southern pacific coast from about jaco or manuel antonio to the warm waters around the osa peninsula but as detailed below there are lots of possibilities. Southern pacific whale watching in costa rica calendar and locations. Most of the scientists estimated that the average lifespan of this animal would be 80 years. The best way to experience seeing one of these giant mammals is by going whale watching in costa rica with a tour. Besides during whale watching tours, you can also see the whales if you go exploring a coastline. Plus its only 4 kilometers from puerto viejo downtown, making it an ideal beach to stay at outside of town. However, other species, such as the common bottlenose dolphin and pantropical spotted dolphins can also be viewed during whale or dolphin watching tours. During whale season, its very likely that the boat captain and staff will spot some whales, and will drive over to them so you can get an upclose look. The whales come from both hemispheres to have their babies and breed. Apr 30, 2017 it is always a thrill for us when the humpbacks come close to our boat on our divine dolphin tours out of drake bay, costa rica on the osa peninsula on this day when we first found the whales. Oct 03, 20 hola, im lara the new dive master intern at rocket frog.
Costa rica holds the longest season for humpback whale watching in the world. Cocles is one of the best beaches in costa rica due to its soft sand, palm tree dotted shores and seasonal surfing waves. Whale watching in costa rica costa rica costa rica. Over 100,000 people travel to costa rica each year to watch whales. While diving on cocos island, off the coast of costa rica, is fantastic all year round, the whale shark season coincides with the hammerhead and manta season from june to september, when the waters are full of plankton.
This national park, one of only two national marine parks in the country, consists of 270 protected land acres 110 hectares and. Whale watching in costa rica southern explorations. The table shows the best times and places to add a humpback whale watching expedition to your costa rica vacation. Various dolphin species play up and down the pacific coast, while the caribbean is home mostly to the bottlenose dolphin.
This dolphin and whale map shows the species that either migrate to or inhabit the waters of costa rica. The quantity of krill that can be consumed by an adult blue whale would be 40 million in a day. The divine dolphin drake bay 2020 all you need to know. Whale sharks in costa rica are considered to be the biggest fish in the sea. The new whale watching season has started in costa ballena. Perhaps the most puzzling natural phenomenon of the park is the whale s tail sandbar. For many people this is really an experience of a lifetime, as you can see in the video i have posted here that i shot. It is the best time of year for whale watching and spotting these magnificent creatures as they make the epic journey across the ocean waters. Perhaps the best place to see these majestic creatures is the osa peninsula, located in the southern portion of puntarenas province. This is when they come to breed and raise their young and is the best time to go on a costa rica whale watching tour. Of the worlds 76 dolphin and whale species, an estimated 25 migrate, mate, birth and feed in costa rican waters.
Whale watching from sea kayak costa rica adventure highlights. You see them all over the map but specifically in places like the golfo dulce, central pacific, guanacaste, osa peninsula and the tropical waters of the caribbean. As for the best time of the year to do whale watching, the season begins from august where whales start to arrive and feast on the plankton rich waters of costa rica and may run until november. In the correct season, is possible to observe females and their calves playing on the surface. Come december to april, other whales come in to costa rica from antarctica to mate and nest. Whales spend more time in costa rican waters than anywhere else. I arrived in costa rica a week ago now and got straight into the water and diving with a group of 16 divers for 4 days. The official humpback season in costa rica is december to march and july to december. They migrate from their feeding areas in the north and south americas to. In summer it is the best time for snorkeling, this depends on the weather conditions. Costa rica is blessed to have the longest season of humpback whales in the world as we get migrations from both north and south america. Costa rica is home to the longest season for whale watching in the world, and september kicks off the peak of one of two of the most popular times of year to witness humpback whales who migrate to the warm and rich waters of marino ballena to give birth to their young. Humpback whale season in costa rica is in full swing, so keep reading to discover the best places to spot these gentle giants.
During the mating season, see whales and hear whale songs is usual while freediving in tamarindo area. The whale tail at uvitas marino ballena national park. Sep 30, 2014 amazing encounter with humpback whales mother and calf off the north pacific coast of costa rica. Most countries offer only one tourist season for visitors wishing to go whale watching. The south pacific coast is a remote area with pristine beaches, diverse wildlife, and untouched rainforest. Costa rica dolphins and whales when should you come. Pacific humpback whales, who migrate annually passing costa rica, are farthestmigrating animals on earth. The official humpback season in costa rica is december to march and. Your complete guide to diving and snorkeling with whale sharks. The easiest way to see whales is to take a tortuga island adventure tour.
Then don your snorkeling gear to explore the waters near isla chora national wildlife refuge or the reef of samara. As you cruise along, look for sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, and even whales during migration season. Situated on the south pacific coast of costa rica, ballena marine national park is the destination that comes to mind first for many costa rican whale watchers. Find in this costa rica tourist map the best points to observe this wonder of nature. Whales migrating from both hemispheres pass by costa rica, so you have a pretty darn good chance of seeing whales if you go to hot spots like uvita, sierpe or drake bay. When you go through the breeding of this blue whale, the mating season would probably be started at the time of autumn and it continues until the end of winter. The warm waters off the southern pacifics osa peninsula are costa ricas most popular destination for whale watching. Located on costa ricas amazingly beautiful central pacific coastline, the small. There are two different migration seasons, depending on where the whales. Dyde whales are frequently seen in costa ricas northern caribbean sea.
The whale resort is a large beachfront property located on the edge of canaza, a small town about 15 minutes from puerto jimenez. Costa ricas famous whale tail is located in the small town of uvita, about an hour south of manuel antonio and is part of parque nacional marino ballena the national marine whale park. In costa rica there are two seasons to spot the humpback whales. Whale watching ask for our packages flamingo costa rica. Bottlenose and spotted dolphins frequently escort boats a few kilometers offshore. Most tours depart from drake bay, although you can catch day excursions from puerto jimenez, as well.
Top spots for whale watching in costa rica special places of. Whales give birth to their cubs on the beaches of costa rica, depending on season you often can see whales breach off of the beach. The warm tropical waters provide a perfect nursery for humpback whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres. The stunning daytime vistas are matched only by the incredible sunsets, which paint the sky crimson and scarlet red. Freedive costa rica humpback whales encounter youtube. The stretch of south pacific costa rica coastline from dominical to ojochal, known as the costa ballena, is swiftly becoming one of the hottest destinations in costa rica. This gives whale watchers a lot of flexibility as humpback whales can be seen nearly yearround on the pacific side. Interestingly enough, we dont know if the humpbacks continue on along the coast after visiting costa rica, or if they head straight to antarctica.
It is always a thrill for us when the humpbacks come close to our boat on our divine dolphin tours out of drake bay, costa rica on the osa peninsula on. Costa rica is a prime whale watching destination and it is all thanks to the spectacular annual migration of two groups of humpback whales. There are huge resident populations of dolphins up and down both of costa ricas coasts, so its pretty likely you. There are several places along the beaches of costa rica that allow travelers to. In most areas, dedicated whalewatching tours are uncommon. The best time to see humpback whales in costa rica is august and september. In some instances, they are spotted in march to june especially in cano island. The warm waters of costa rica s oceans attract whales and dolphins from north and south america. The best spots to watch whale in costa rica are marino ballena national park with the famous whale tail beach, drake bay down the osa peninsula, and golfo dulce off the shores of puerto jimenez. We have costa rican guides who know these waters well and will delight with excitement right along with you when you seen one breech for the very first. They have known about their mating behavior and other breeding grounds in a little. The warm waters off the southern pacifics osa peninsula are costa ricas most. This means that it is harder to see humpback whales during the december to april season, but not impossible.
Snorkel in the colorful waters of marino ballena national park and explore the nearby mangrove forest. You can see whales all along the pacific coast of costa rica during those months. This whale specie comes to migrate in this country whenever winter comes in the antarctica between august to october. Costa rica waters are home to dozens of marine species and we provide private small boat tours for you to observe them in their natural habitat. The warm waters off the southern pacifics osa peninsula are costa rica s most popular destination for whale watching. Jul 03, 2018 cocles beach, one of the most best beaches in costa rica. About half are commonly spotted off the south pacific, including brydes whales, humpback whales, and sei whales. Visitors on whale watching tours to costa rica can plan their trips around the comings and goings of three baleens and three larger toothed whales as well an array of smaller dolphin species. Northern hemisphere whales head to central america from alaska from the months of december to march. Tourists travel many miles to costa rica to spot one.
This kayaking tour begins as the waves go to one side of the whales tail and the tide becomes low. The lesser known of the two are the humpback whales migrating from the northern hemisphere which start arriving in december and can be spotted. During the winter in the arctic approximately december to april, their cousins migrate from the far north to costa rica for romance and babymaking. Whale watching in costa rica calendar and locations. The northern hemisphere california humpback whales come to the pacific coast december early april. Perhaps the most puzzling natural phenomenon of the park is the whales tail sandbar. Dolphin and whale season in costa rica properties in. Sep 06, 2011 costa rica holds the longest season for humpback whale watching in the world. This long journey starts when temperatures in both north and south america start to cool during their respective winters. Whale watching and dolphin watching in costa rica, during this tour we can see the humpback whales, spotted dolphins, bottle noses, turtles and sea birds combined with snorkeling in the tail of the whale or whale island where you can see different types of reef fish.
During the mating season, see whales and hear whale songs is. Apr 29, 2019 the best time to see humpback whales in costa rica is august and september. Dolphins and whales migrate heavily through costa ricas southern pacific from july to october. The whale tail at uvitas marino ballena national park two. Puerto jimenez is a much larger port town that offers all the amenities such as restaurants, bars, banksatms, pharmacies, medical facilities, tour. We are the only tour operator exclusively dedicated to dolphin and whale tours. The best time to see humpback whales is mid july through october, when our southern migration, coming from as far as antarctica, are here. Catch a glimpse of humpback whales in marino ballena national park. During this combination tour well embark on a search for humpback whales to listen to their love songs and feel the great sensation of watching a mammal that weighs more than 40 tons jump out of the water and splash its gigantic tail. In the following months, we can expect to have a lot of special activities such. And they just started arriving in the waters of the southern area of the costa rican pacific coast. Amazing encounter with humpback whales mother and calf off the north pacific coast of costa rica. Whales and dolphins are so exciting to see when in costa rica.
1452 34 985 568 643 104 198 164 1101 1241 600 784 139 1160 1068 901 461 382 1157 829 441 250 111 1084 1382 262 1520 1328 1078 914 996 937 902 1090 645 1159 507 410 363 1310 947 1428