Humpback Whale Watching
Drake Bay on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
When is the Best Time to See Whales in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is blessed to be one of the best whale watching destinations on Planet Earth as we have the longest season of Humpback Whales in the world. The Whales migrate from both North and South America to have their babies and breed here. This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world!
The best time to see Humpback Whales in Costa Rica is mid July through October, when our Southern Migration, coming from as far as Antarctica, are here. This is the longest migration by a mammal known to man and they choose to have their babies and breed here in Costa Rica!
You can see newborn whales and their moms, large groups of rowdy males chasing a female, known as a heat run, and lots of singing and showing off. This is a Humpback Whale playground!
You can also see Humpback Whales from November through April, during our Northern Migration, coming from Northwest USA and Canada. This migration is not as plentiful, but the moms and babies tend to be super friendly. We have seen whales on many of our tours this year. This is also the best time to see our super mega pods of dolphins in clear, calm waters.
Where is the Best Place to See Humpback Whales in Costa Rica?
Humpback Whales can be seen all along the Pacific (West) side of Costa Rica, but definitely the best and most consistent place to see them is out of Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula.
For whale watching in Costa Rica, Drake Bay is the best place because more whales from both migrations birth and breed here in this area than in other parts. Also, super importantly, there are much fewer boats than in areas such as Uvita. It is also much easier to hear the whales singing with our hydrophone due to much less boat noise than you will find in other areas. Hearing the Humpback Whales sing is a life changing experience!
Plus, there are many reasons to visit Drake Bay besides the whales, such as it being the most beautiful part of Costa Rica with access to Costa Rica’s crown jewel rainforest, Corcovado National Park. Drake Bay is the very best of both worlds both on land and at sea!
The Divine Dolphin has been exclusively operating whale and dolphin tours in Drake Bay since 1998. We are dedicated to conservation and are instrumental in creating a marine preserve off the Osa Peninsula and are active members of the World Cetacean Alliance, working together to make the area a Whale Heritage Site. We are the whale watching company you want to go with for the best experience in Costa Rica by far!
More about the Humpback Whales of Costa Rica
Before swimming thousands of miles to Costa Rica’s tropical waters, the Humpback Whales feed on plankton and krill in their cold water feeding grounds. They do not feed once they arrive here as these are birthing and breeding grounds, so they are either having babies or making babies. Females give birth to one calf who nurses exclusively for the first six months. During this time, the mother can lose as much as a third of her own body weight. We can see their bones by the time they leave here for the feeding grounds.
The Humpback Whales from the Northern Hemisphere are generally smaller than the Humpbacks arriving from the Southern Hemisphere. The Northern Humpback Whales can reach 15 meters (50 feet) in length and weigh up to 40 tons. The Southern Humpback Whales can grow to 18 meters (60 feet) and up to 50 tons!
.. and Dolphins too!
Not only will you be thrilled and entertained by the Humpback Whales in Drake Bay, but we have seen four different species of Dolphins playing with the Humpbacks, especially the babies!
You can expect to see Spotted, Bottlenose and Roughtooth Dolphins inshore and Spinner Dolphins further offshore engaging with the Humpback Whales.
On many tours you will also encounter the Mega Pod of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins that often hang out close to shore, sometimes numbering in the thousands!
Travel Info
With our 22 years of experience in the area, we can create a travel package in Drake Bay that works for your desires and budget. We recommend at least three nights in the area so that you have time to do the whale and dolphin tour and also visit Corcovado National Park. However, the longer you can stay in Drake Bay, the better as there is also snorkeling and world class diving at Cano Island, the zip line tour, horseback riding, tubing down rivers and simply immersing in the very best of nature. We promise you will not regret your time spent in Drake Bay.
Drake Bay has hotel accommodations from tents on the beach to luxurious 4 star hotels and everything in between. Most mid to upper range hotels include meals in their rates and there is no shortage of budget hotels which allow you to sample the small restaurants around town.
Drake Bay can be reached by plane, boat or car. There are several airlines now flying into Drake Bay’s brand new airport. You can also drive or take a bus into the town of Sierpe and take the twice daily community boats to Drake Bay, an hour long trip down the Sierpe River, an adventure in itself! We recommend a 4-wheel drive vehicle if you choose to drive into Drake Bay.
Use our Reservation Form to request more information about any of the above.
Packages and Prices
You can book a single day tour with us or an all-inclusive package and anything in between. We can include your hotel in San Jose and flights to Drake Bay if you wish. We suggest at least two days with the whales for different experiences and of course, more tours means more time with the whales!
Package prices depend on how many nights you stay, the quality of hotel that you choose, how many tours you want to do and if you want to include travel to and from Drake Bay.
Hotels in Drake Bay range from $60 a night without meals to $350 per person including meals.
The Full Day Whale Tour is $120 per person including lunch. The tour leaves at 8:00 am and returns between 1:00 pm and 2;00 pm.
Using our Contact Form, please let us know how many people are traveling with you, your travel dates, how many nights you wish to stay in Drake Bay, what is your hotel price range and if you want meals included, ocean views, or other specific accommodations. Also let us know how many tours you want to do, if you want to also visit Corcovado National Park and if you want your hotel in San Jose and transportation to Drake Bay included. With this information, we can put the perfect package together for you!