Humpback Whales have arrived to Costa Rica!  (Watch Video)

August brings the joy and excitement of the humpback whale´s return to the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where they will remain here until October to feed and birth their calves.

These magnificent beasts are the most revered of all marine animals with their breathtaking acrobatic leaps and sheer, colossal size hovering just below the waters.  Over 100,000 visitors each year come to Costa Rica to witness these awesome animals dwelling around the Pacific ocean, purely to behold the wondrous vision of such beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

There are three distinct groups of the humpback whale which do not interact with one another; the North Pacific, North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere.  Two of the three populations migrate to Costa Rica, the North Pacific and the Southern Hemisphere humpback.

Between January and April, Costa Rica is the breeding ground of the North Pacific humpback with an estimated 15,000 whales migrating here for the winter from the coasts of California and Alaska.

The Southern Hemisphere humpbacks are the ones arriving now and can be seen around the National Ballena Marina Park, Playa Dominical, Dominicalito, Bajo Negro and other beaches surrounding the mouth of the Térraba river.  Whale-tours are highly recommended to guarantee the sight of these stunning marine mammals at close range, with many boats available during the August to October season in operation.

This most seriously endangered species is down 10 percent to the original population of the humpback whale and the current world estimation is between 35,000 and 45,000 in existence today.  They were sadly decimated during the 19th and early 20th century by commercial whaling and became one of the first living creatures to be protected under the Endangered Species Conservation Act.

Thankfully due to global conservation efforts, the population is rebounding, albeit slowly.   Let us all hope they continue to thrive for our future generations to wonder over and may they continue to visit the very welcome shores of Costa Rica!

Watch the excitement getting close-up to a humpback whale!

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