Whale & Dolphin Watching Expedition
Costa Rican waters are home to different whales, dolphins and other marine mammal species, schools of dolphins commonly escort small boats on any offshore excursion, since several types of dolphins are common in Costa Rica´s waters, among them: Spotted Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin and Spinner Dolphin. Another regular animal in these waters are the sea turtles, which often can be found mating on the water’s surface.
Humpback whales are huge mammals that can reach up to 15 meters (50 feet) long, females being slightly bigger than males. Despite their enormous size, they are able to jump out of the water providing a spectacular show for the ones lucky enough to be there at the right time, another great experience which is more likely to be witnessed during the tour, is watching the offspring swim and play besides the huge mother whale.
Even though the whales along the pacific coast of Costa Rica only represent a few percent of the world´s population, they are relatively easy to spot because they congregate close to shore. Pacific humpbacks swim in pods of about a dozen in the known calving areas along the outer shores of the Nicoya Peninsula and its gulf, and along the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce.
Our experienced captains and guides take the necessary measures in order to minimize the stress that our presence may cause on animals. Our boats will keep the right distance, move at a low speed and won’t spend too much time with the same group of whales.
Migration & giving birth
Whale watching has two seasons in Costa Rica, from mid-July to the end of October and from mid- December to April. These seasons are based on the annual migration cycle of the pacific humpback whale. These animals travel from far to visit Costa Rica, each year the pacific humpback whales from the southern hemisphere travel from Antarctica to Costa Rica and arrive around mid-July, while the pacific humpback whales from the northern hemisphere do the same, but they travel from Alaska to Costa Rica and arrive around the end of December. September and October are the months in which you have the highest chance of seeing whales.
Females who mated twelve months earlier give birth to a single calf who grows to at least 8 meters (26 feet) feeding on rich milk over the first year. During their migration, adults don’t feed and nursing females loose up to a third of their body weight. The prevailing two theories among scientists about why whales migrate to the tropics are that the warmth allows the calves to grow quicker and that tropical waters are safer because of lower number of predators like orcas and sharks.
Quick Guide:
Availability: daily from late July to the end of October.
Departure: 7:00am, 8am or sunset tour 2pm.
Length: 3 hours.
What to bring: sandals or water shoes, sunscreen, camera, towel, swimwear, hat.
Suggested Transportation: car rental or taxi to departure location.
Max. Occupancy: 6-8 people per boat.