Starting in August every year, the tranquil blue waters of the Pacific gulf of Golfo Dulce, between the Piedras Blancas National Park and the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica, will receive the astounding phenomenon of the thousands-of-miles-long migration of Pacific humpback whales. 

 

Costa Rica provides an important sanctuary for endangered humpback whales to breed and give birth. Southern Pacific humpback whales swim north from Antarctica as far as Costa Rica to the warm tropical waters of Golfo Dulce and the southern Pacific coast from August to October. Golfo Dulce is an important habitat for the endangered whales and is vital to the species’ survival, according to the Center for Cetacean Research of Costa Rica (CEIC).

 

 

Then later from December to April, northern Pacific humpback whales swim thousands of miles from Alaska to the shallow coastal waters of the Ballena National Marine Park in southern Costa Rica.

The Ballena (“whale”) National Marine Park covers 272 acres (110 hectares) of land and 13,280 acres (5,375 hectares) of ocean. It was created in 1989 as the first marine park in Latin America, and is a vital refuge for marine life, including pilot whales, false orca whales, sea turtles, and Pacific Spotted, Common and Bottlenose dolphins. The Ballena National Marine Park is famous for its sandbar isthmus formed perfectly into the shape of a large whale’s tail.

A real-life encounter with humpback whales in Costa Rica is an unforgettable experience for anyone. You can see the whales on whale watching tours from August to October.

 

 

When you stay at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge you can enjoy daily whale watching tours in Golfo Dulce. Located in the pristine rainforest on a remote beach of the warm water gulf, the award-winning Costa Rica eco-lodge offers boat tours to see the whales, dolphins and other marine life. Rainforest tours in the 165-acre private preserve bordering the Piedras Blancas National Park let you explore the jungle and see amazing wildlife.