Whale Watching!

Our friends Peter and Anke invited us to take a trip down to Uvita in the Osa area  to go whale watching in Marino Ballena National Park and celebrate Peter's birthday!  We packed a small bag with a few essentials and our cameras and headed out.  Uvita is only about a 1 1/2 hour drive on the Costanera Highway from Bejuco on what we deem to be the nicest newly paved road in Costa Rica.  It is approx 25 kilometers south of Dominical.  The boat was due to depart the sandy shore around 8 am so we gulped down some hot java, grabbed some snacks for the road and headed out at 6 am.  


Upon arrival we were walked down to the beautiful Playa Arco where we could enjoy the beach, take a dip in the water and watch the various boat tours launch their boats for the day.  The four wheel drive SUV backed the boat down the beach to the water and with quick release our boat taxi for the the day was ready for us to wade out and board.  In just a few minutes with a short cruise offshore we were in the spot where a mamma whale and baby calf were lounging in the water and would roll over the top every few minutes to replenish their air supply and of course offer us a photo op to share their presence with the world.  They never did breach (rise up in the water like standing) but it was so amazing just to see them there and hear the amazing sounds of them breathing!  These whales called Humpbacks grow to be 40 50 feet in length and can weigh from 50,000 to 80,000 lbs! The calves are typically 10 -15 ft and can weigh up to 2000 lbs when born.  This drawing above gives you an idea of their size in relationship to an average size man.   This area is known as a place where the whales spend the longest amount of time in a year with the South American population migrating north during the Antartic winter season to breed in the warm water August to October and the Northern whales making the long journey south from the Artic and staying from December through April.

 After enjoying these amazing water creatures we headed down to see the the sights of the Isla Ballena which means "the island of the whales",  Playa Ventena's (Windows Beach) and Las Tres Hermanas known as the Three Sisters Islands and to search for dolphins.  Windows Beach is appropriately named for it's sea caves that line the north and south end of the shore and when the tide is low you can actually walk inside these very large and deep caverns.  I am sure they are also a great place for divers to explore during the high tides along with the largest coral reef of Costa Rica that is also here.  Some of the caves that jut out on a peninsula pass all the way through and when in a smaller boat you can ride through to the other side.  We did not have the pleasure of finding any dolphins on this day and were told that there were many out and about the day before jumping and showing off for everyone.  I guess they were tired and napping all day!

To end the tour we were taken to the Punta Uvita Tombolo, a unique island of rocks that when the tide goes out exposes a large sand bar that connects the island to the shore and forms the shape of a whales tale which is why many people call it "The Whales Tail".  This beach has been named in the top 6 most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica.  The island is formed by solid rock that shows the wear and tear of the waters rise and fall creating many interesting crevices and designs.  It is a great place to go shelling and there is an interesting square structure that is said to have been the base for a lighthouse.  When exploring the island or just lounging in the sun and enjoying the water for the day you must be aware of the tide charts and ready for the high tides to return so as not to get caught in the water!  When we first arrived to the beach in the morning the whales tale was not visible at all but when we came back to the area mid day it was magically there.   

The tour also included snorkeling but the water was not clear enough to see on this particular day so everyone just enjoyed the beach and water instead.  We were served freshly cut watermelon and pineapple as a refreshment and after everyone returned to the boat, but one couple that opted to walk back along the beach, we were ferried back to our starting point to end our fun tour for the day.

MAP OF AREA

The Puntarenas, Osa area is known for it's golden sand beaches, cliffs, caves, islands mangroves, ecosystems and rock and coral reefs.  There is an abundance of iguanas, seabirds, dolphins, turtles and whales that can be viewed on the many tours available.  You will find red, black, tea, white and buttonwood mangroves that are so interesting to view by boat.

It was a great tour but we were not through for the day.  Now it was time to go and enjoy a lovely birthday lunch in honor of our friend Peter's birthday and his choice was CITRUS in Ojachal a quaint little town with several nice International restaurants just a few minutes south of Uvita.  We had a lovely lunch with a

toast to the birthday boy!  See link above for my Trip Advisor review of this great dining experience.

I highly recommend this trip for the whale watching and for the beauty of the area and this very interesting beach that comes and goes.  There are many different and exciting tours available in this area or you may just want to bring a picnic and relax!

PURA VIDA!