Ultimate Guide to Whale Watching in Uvita, Costa Rica

If you’re in Costa Rica and looking to go whale watching, there’s no better place than our community that’s literally named after them!

By visiting our home of Bahia Ballena – A.K.A Whale Bay, you’re in one of the best places in the world to witness up close the migration of these majestic creatures.

We’ve lived here in Uvita for over 14 years and have welcomed travelers from all over the world for just as long. If there’s one thing that we know many of our guests want to experience during their time here – it’s whale watching.

Uvita, Costa Rica and the entire Bahia Ballena area is known for its brilliant whale watching tours, one of the reasons that thousands of tourists make the trip down here each year.

We’ve had many guests enjoy these whale watching tours over the years, and we’ve also participated in them ourselves. So, it’s fair to say that we’re equipped with the firsthand knowledge that you’re looking for!
Our philosophy is to provide our guests with educational resources that empower them to be responsible and independent travelers. Let’s dive in together to explore everything you need to know about whale watching in Uvita, Costa Rica.

Where to Go Whale Watching

As we’ve alluded to, our area of Bahia Ballena is named after the humpback whales that cross our waters twice a year. When is that? We’ll get to that below, so keep reading to find out!

Bahia Ballena is located in the Pacific south of Costa Rica – about a 4-hour drive from the capital city San Jose. 

Aside from the actual whales, our home is also famous for the Whale’s Tail rock formation.

This really is a spectacular coincidence. If you need any more signs from the universe that Whale Bay is the number one destination for whale watching, we have a sandbar that extends about 1km into the sea that’s shaped exactly like a whale’s tail.

Just based on this alone, why look any further?

If you’re still reading, you probably need a little more convincing than that. We love a detailed researcher!
Uvita, Bahia Ballena has a resource that we believe makes it the best place for whale watching in all of Costa Rica.

The Marino Ballena National Park

The Marino Ballena National Park is Central America’s first-ever marine national park, opening in 1989.

Just like our community of Bahia Ballena, the park is also named after the humpback whales that famously pass through its waters.

You may be thinking to yourself “This is cool, but what does it have to do with whale watching?”. 

The park consists of 5,375 sea hectares and has 15 kilometers of coastline. This massive protected sea area ensures that humpback whales have a safe and uninterfered passage through the area during their migration. 

This makes the national park a literal haven for the humpbacks. They’re able to raise their young and feed with minimal human interference.

Whale watching tours in Uvita also head out from the park – making the Marino Ballena National Park the perfect launching pad for these tours.

Learn more about the Marino Ballena National Park by checking out our blog post, which also includes a list of our favorite activities to do here.

The Story Behind Whale Watching in Uvita, Costa Rica

Our community has an interesting history when it comes to tourism and whale watching.

Not too long ago, it was nearly impossible to even get down here. 

Before the Costanera highway was constructed, visitors to Uvita and the wider area of Bahia Ballena would have required a boat to get here. 

When Bodhi Surf + Yoga owner Travis Bays first moved down here in 2008, the community didn’t even have cellphone service! He often recounts his stories to our guests of his early years down here, where he would have to wait in line once a week at the town’s only payphone in order to call his family back in the States.

At this point, our rural community was a small fishing village. Uvita wasn’t on Costa Rica’s tourism map.

The Whales Changed Everything!

The migratory humpback whales quite literally did change everything for this community – for the better!

The few tourists that would visit the area each year had eventually heard about the humpback whales that migrate through our waters at certain times of the year. 

Not being able to see them from land, these visitors would ask if they could pay the local fishermen to take them on their boats to witness these majestic creatures.

The fishermen realized that they could make much more of a living to sustain themselves and their families by doing these ‘whale watching tours’, which is how whale watching in Uvita, Costa Rica was born.

Today, whale watching and other tours through the Marino Ballena National Park are the main economic drivers for our community.

When is the Best Time of Year for Whale Watching in Uvita, Costa Rica?

Although Uvita is a great place to visit throughout the entire year, you’ll have to plan your visit for certain months if you’re looking to go whale watching.

This is because we’re visited by two species of humpback whales at two points of the year, each lasting a couple of months.

The first humpback whale season of the year is from mid-July through the end of October.

During this time period, we’re visited by the southern hemisphere humpback whales that migrate from Antarctica to raise their calves.

After this, the whale watching tours stop for a couple of months while we await their next migration.

The tours start back up again for the second season of the year, which is from late December through late February. In this season, we witness the migration of the northern hemisphere humpback whales that migrate to us from the California and Washington state areas.

If you don’t visit Uvita, Costa Rica during these months, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to find a whale watching tour – and even more unlikely to see any whales.

But our community has something incredible to offer all year round! Check out our list of must-do activities in Uvita, Costa Rica.

Who to Go With?

You’ve probably noticed that every time we’ve referred to whale watching in Uvita, Costa Rica, we’ve called them ‘tours’.

Just to be clear, if you do plan on going whale watching here it will have to be part of a tour.

The whales don’t surface close enough to the shore to see them from the beach, meaning you need to go out on a boat to be able to spot them. 

As the whales cross through the national park, this means that you can’t just rent a boat to go follow them around – that would be illegally entering the park and disturbing its wildlife.

Remember what we said about the national park protecting the whales? The tour companies and their guides are all trained professionals who navigate the park’s waters carefully and responsibly, causing minimal disturbance to the whales.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga Trusted Tour Companies

Now that you know you’ll have to go on a tour to experience whale watching in Uvita, Costa Rica, let’s take a look at our favorite companies in town that our guests enjoy tours with!

Bahia Aventuras

• Price: USD $78 (adults) and USD $45 (children)
• Duration: 2-3 hours
• Book here: Bahia Aventuras
• Office location: Google Maps pin

Ballena Tour

• Price: USD $65
• Duration: 3 hours
• Book here: Ballena Tour
• Office location: Google Maps pin

Costa Rica Dive & Surf

• Price: USD $90 (adults) and USD $68 (children)
• Duration: 3 hours
• Book here: Costa Rica Dive & Surf
• Office location: Google Maps pin

Pacific Expeditions

• Price: USD $75
• Duration: 4 hours
• Book here: Pacific Expeditions
• Office location: Google Maps pin

Dolphin Tour

• Price: USD $85
• Duration: 3-4 hours
• Book here: Dolphin Tour
• Office location: Google Maps pin

* Remember that this information is accurate as of the time of writing. Prices and other information may change.

Why Do These Tours and What to Expect

Now that you’re equipped with the information on where, when, and with whom to go on a whale watching tour in Uvita, Costa Rica, let’s dive into WHY you should do one of these tours and what to expect on it.

Why Take a Whale Watching Tour

As we mentioned earlier – taking a tour is the only way to spot humpback whales here, unless you grab a surfboard and do some serious paddling (kidding!).

But in all seriousness, witnessing these incredible creatures is one of the most jaw-dropping experiences you’ll have in your life. They’re so unbelievably beautiful and majestic.

By going with a trusted tour company, you know that you’re not doing any harm to these creatures or disturbing their migration.

The guides on the tours are also incredibly knowledgeable and offer a wealth of information about whales, the ocean, and the national park throughout the duration of the tour.

During my tour, we were informed that the whales were continuously breaching because they were annoyed with the playful dolphins. Apparently being landed on by a humpback whale really gets the message across.

What Does My Tour Package Include?

Each of the companies that we listed above will have a slightly different offering and may include something different in their package. 

But generally, you can expect the following staples on your tour:

• A trained captain to drive and control the boat
• A bilingual certified naturalist guide
• Life jackets
• Refreshments
• Entrance to the Marino Ballena National Park
• A quick snorkeling session (if conditions allow)

Aside from the migrating humpback whales, on your tour you can expect to see many other forms of marine life, including:

• Pelicans and other seabirds
• Dolphins
• Sea turtles

What to Take With You for Whale Watching in Uvita, Costa Rica

First and foremost, we recommend checking with the tour company that you book with about what the tour specifically includes and what you should bring.

For example: one company might offer lunch, meaning you don’t need to pack any food or snacks for your trip. But if your tour doesn’t include food, you might want to take some apples or bananas just to tide you over.

There are however some things that we suggest taking with you on your tour, regardless of who you go with.

A plastic bag or waterproof phone case can be very useful on this kind of tour. You might not think you’ll take your phone out much, but you’ll definitely end up wanting to take photographs of the whales and the incredible views of the national park.

It isn’t mandatory, but it’ll definitely ease the stress of getting your phone wet.

We also highly recommend taking appropriate sun protection with you. Even if it seems overcast and not that sunny, you can still burn and get dehydrated.

In terms of sun protection, we recommend taking:

• A hat
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses

In fact, we suggest taking these items with you anywhere you go during your trip. It’s better to be prepared – dehydration really can sneak up on you!

You’d also benefit greatly from taking swimwear with you for whale watching in Uvita, Costa Rica. Many of the tours allow you to get off the boat for a swim and a few minutes of snorkeling, so wearing a bathing suit is a great idea!

Whale Watching in Uvita, Costa Rica Awaits You!

Now that you’re all ready to go on your whale watching tour, have you done your research for the rest of your time in Uvita?

We invite you to surf over to our blog and check out our must do activities in Uvita, to learn what else you can do during your trip.

And if a rejuvenating week of surf, yoga, nature immersion, and community engagement sounds like it could be for you – we’d be stoked to welcome you down here.