Costa Rica Area Info: Costa Rica's National Parks

Ballena National Marine Park, Costa Rica

Ballena National Marine Park was created in 1990, to protect the coral and rock reefs in Coronado Bay, south of Costa Rica. Marino Ballena National Park is named after the Humpback Whales that migrate here each year from December to April to mate before returning to the frigid waters to the north.

This Costa Rica National Park extends over 13 kilometers of sandy shores and rocky coasts. It includes Playas Uvita and Ballena, relatively unvisited stretches of white and golden sand.  Green marine iguanas (iguana verde) bask in the sun between dives to feed on the algae growing on the rocks and coral.

The largest coral reef on the Pacific Coast of Central America forms a crescent necklace with the three small islands known as Las Tres Hermanas (three sisters) and Ballena island as the center piece. The island group Las Tres Hermanas is an important roost for seabirds and home to two species of reptiles, the iguana (Iguana Iguana) and the cherepos (Basilicus Basilicus). The island is also a refuge and roosting site for magnificent frigate birds.

Especially at low tide, snorkeling is good from the shore, and scuba diving trips are available to the islands. Rivers and streams flow down from the steep hills and mountains, carrying rains even during the dry season from December to April.

Ballena National Marine Park, Costa Rica

The bays of Ballena National Marine Park host swarms of Anchovies, Lobsters, Catfish, Flying fish, Trunk fish, Trigger fish, Caribbean Snook, Jew fish, common Dolphins and Bottle-Nosed Dolphins. From December to April the park is home to humpback whales, an endangered species, of which only 5,000 remain today.

The coastline habitat of beaches, mangrove swamps, estuaries, rivers and ravines attracts bird watchers to see resident and migratory birds, such as the Northern boat-billed heron, little blue heron, white ibis, black-collared hawk, greater yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper, black-bellied plover, whimbrel, turkey vulture, and king vulture.

This Costa Rica National Park protects important habitats such as sandy beaches, rocky beaches, Estuaries, mangroves, cliffs, islands, rocky shoales, point Uvita and coral reef which represent a very important environment for the preservation and reproduction of marine diversity. The coral reefs are composed of 5 of the 18 species.

Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles can be seen laying their eggs on night visit to the beach between May and November.

Getting to Ballena National Marine Park: The best way to visit this Costa Rica Natioanl park is by boat, however, it's a fairly long way from either Quepos by Manuel Antonio National Park or Drake's Bay (more than 40 km.), the two nearest areas with much tourism development and boats equipped for making the run.

Eventually, it could still be decades, the Costa Rica government plans to complete the southern portion of the coastal highway between Quepos (near Manuel Antonio National Park) and Palmar. If the existing dirt road is ever improved it will open up the terrestrial access to this area.

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