If you love to be out on the ocean, you will love this day of whale watching, searching for dolphins and cave exploration. The Ballena Marine National Park is one of the most popular places in Costa Rica to see whales and dolphins.
Your group will start out at Uvita Beach where you will meet your nature guide and boat captain. They will talk about safety instructions and provide life jackets before you hop on board your ocean chariot. Your guide will share his wealth of knowledge about the various species of wildlife you may see in this area including: sea birds, dolphins, whales and tropical fish. Depending on the season, your captain will choose the places you will visit to see where these stunning creatures are known to frequent.
During this combo tour, keep your eyes looking for Humpback Whales, Bottle Nosed and Spotted Dolphins, Sea Turtles, Parrot Fish and much more. This tour can be taken year round, however, whale watching and snorkeling is only available during certain months. Humpback whales visit Costa Rica between July and October and again from December to February. Snorkeling is available when the ocean water is clear, typically during the dry season which falls between November and June. Dolphin watching happens all year round.
Your half-day ocean adventure also includes a visit to the The Ventana Caves. These interesting rock formations consisting of about 200 caves were created after thousands of years of tectonic plate movement. With soft sand and gentle ocean waves, it has become a very popular beach for both travelers and locals alike. The caves themselves, a bonus feature of the area, provide a nice “playground”, allowing adults and kids to explore and take some nice photos.
During your trip if time allows, you might make additional stops to see some other beautiful landmarks including: “Whale’s Tail” sandbar, and Tres Hermanas Islands. Your boat captain and guides will be glad to share with you the history and significance of these interesting areas.
At some point during your trip, fresh tropical fruit and cold bottled water will be provided so you can relax and refuel while out exploring the ocean blue.
Please prepare for a day out in the sun by bringing your bathing suit, towel, hat, and sunscreen. Transportation from Uvita or Dominical, park admission, bilingual guide, snorkeling equipment, fruit and water are all included in this half-day tour. One way transportation time can take up to 30 minutes depending on your pick-up location.
Latitude: N 9° 6' 46.6"
Longitude: W 83° 45' 35.92"
12/25/2021
While our expectations were kept low, we saw EIGHT WHALES! Including two newborns! It was fantastic! I ended up taking 380 photos of the whales (okay - I was a bit excited).
08/21/2019
Great tour.
02/04/2019
Unfortunately we didn’t see any whales