Giants in Costa Rica

By Gina Polini

Humpback whales migrate to Costa Rica twice a year looking for a place to give birth to their young.

Costa Rica's warm waters seem perfect to welcome baby whales in their first hours, even weeks, of life. For this reason, whales from both Poles - North and South - travel thousands of kilometers to reach Costa Rica, give birth, look after their calves and mate with the males that follow them there.

We are talking about the humpback whales that come to Costa Rica twice a year: the ones from the North Pole do so between December and April and the ones from the South between August and October.

This means they can be seen in Costa Rican waters almost all year round, especially in the South Pacific, in the triangle between the Ballena National Marine Park, Caño Island and Drake Bay.

Whale and dolphin watching —plenty of dolphins are also found in the area — has resulted in an important tourist activity in the Corcovado area, from where it is easier to see these mammals. Mundo Expeditions is one of the organizations with most experience in the logistics involved in this type of excursions and throughout the year organizes at least six excursions during the seasons with the greatest probability of spotting whales.

As a matter of fact, the second whale-watching season is about to begin in August, which is why several excursions have been scheduled. The first is planned for August 2nd and 3rd. In addition to whales and dolphins, the area offers tourists many attractions because of its abundant natural resources, crystal-clear waters and tropical jungle, which is protected by three national parks.

Those That Come

Most of the whales that migrate from the Poles are humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). It is believed that each year some thirty whales arrive, though numbers are difficult to determine because of the lack of means to conduct a census. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) also come to Costa Rica. These are the largest of all whales.

In general, whales travel in rather large groups, which is why often several animals are spotted together. However, they can also be seen alone or together with their calf. Males offer tourists the best spectacle because they jump out of the water, their entire body often out of the water, falling back in with an enormous splash.

Whales are mammals and must come to the surface to breathe. A telltale sign of their presence is the whale spout that can be seen just above the water, which is warm, moist air they exhale when they surface.

Dolphins

In addition to whales, dolphins are also part of the show. Unlike whales, they are always found in groups and it is normal for them to come close to the boats and sometimes jump out of the water much to the spectators' amazement.

There are two types in the Corcovado area: the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) and the spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuate). However, the dolphin population has fallen significantly especially due to entanglement in fishing gear and pollution. There are countries that hunt whales indiscriminately for food and other purposes.

Other Beauties

When visiting the Corcovado area, which also includes Caño Island, tourists can enjoy watching birds and other animals that are difficult to spot elsewhere ín the world. Mere are also three national parks preserving the tropical jungle.

Caño Island is the perfect place to snorkel. Its surrounding crystal-clear waters are full of a large variety of coral and colorful fish. Even from the boat, one can see many species of fish as if the sea were a huge fishbowl.

And in the surrounding areas of Corcovado Park, a large number of tourist hotels offer all the amenities without spoiling the possibility of close contact with the jungle. On the other hand, the beaches on the South Pacific offer picturesque views against the emerald green sea.