Where and how to watch whales in Guanacaste?
Whale watching, especially humpback whale watching, is a breathtaking spectacle, especially for nature lovers, and especially for children.
Humpback whales come to the Pacific waters of Costa Rica and the Guanacaste region during several months of the year, and it is especially the humpback whales that offer the most breathtaking, almost acrobatic, spectacle of all species.
In addition to the humpbacks, there are other species that come to the Guanacaste and Pacific waters of Costa Rica, such as false killer whales, orcas, as well as other species, the latter more rare.
No matter if you bet on luck or patience, seeing humpback whales at sea, with their calves and hopefully jumping and doing acrobatics, is a spectacle that everyone should witness once in a lifetime.
These giants come to Costa Rica for eight months in total (in two different seasons): the longest humpback whale watching season in the world. In the province, they arrive in Santa Elena Bay, the Gulf of Papagayo and off Sámara and Camaronal beaches (See infographic).
The marine biologist, specialist in whales and dolphins of the Keto Foundation, David Palacios, explained that since 2005 the country has a Regulation for the operation of activities related to cetaceans in Costa Rica, which provides guidelines on how to be a respectful tourist and tour operator.
First of all, take into account that your boat should not be less than 200 meters away from the whales or spend more than 30 minutes near the same group of these animals.
Do not feed, touch or swim with them. Do not make noise during the tour. For example, listening to music in the boat while you are close to the whales will hinder their communication.
“In the case of Guanacaste there is no certification that one can demand from a tour operator to know if they are respectful of the Law,” said Palacios. “But I recommend looking for companies that have some other type of certification with the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), as a minimum,” Palacios added.