Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Costa Rica. And, with a little luck and a bit of patience, you just might catch a glimpse of
a humpback breaching or a few dolphins gliding through the surf.
Sights & Activities
The beaches at Parque Nacional Marino Ballena are a stunning combination of golden
sand and polished rock. All of them are virtually deserted and perfect for peaceful swim-
ming and sunbathing. And the lack of visitors means you'll have a number of quiet oppor-
tunities for good bird-watching.
From the ranger station you can walk out onto Punta Uvita and snorkel (best at low
tide). Boats from Playa BahÃa Uvita to Isla Ballena can be hired for up to US$45 per per-
son for a two-hour snorkeling trip, though you are not allowed to stay overnight on the is-
land.
To delve into the underwater beauty of the park, take a dive with the Argentine-run
Mad
There is also some decent surfing near the river mouth at the southern end of Playa Co-
lonia.
Wildlife-Watching
Although the park gets few human visitors, the beaches are frequently visited by a number
of animal species, including nesting seabirds, bottle-nose dolphins and a variety of lizards.
And from May to November, with a peak in September and October, olive ridley and
hawksbill turtles bury their eggs in the sand nightly. However, the star attraction are the
pods of humpback whales that pass through the national park from August to October and
December to April.
Scientists are unsure as to why humpback whales migrate here, though it's possible that
Costa Rican waters may be one of only a few places in the world where the whales mate.
There are actually two different groups of humpbacks that pass through the park - whales
seen in the fall migrate from Californian waters, while those seen in the spring originate
from Antarctica.
Information
Heading southeast from Punta Uvita, the park includes 13km of sandy and rocky beaches,
mangrove swamps, estuaries and rocky headlands. All six kinds of Costa Rican mangrove
