Ballena National Park Costa Rica. Infoturistica

Distance from San José: 192 kilometers
Dry season: January through March

This is one of Costa Rica's newest national parks. It was created in an attempt to conserve some of the marine resources of the Southern Pacific Region, which are under siege from overfishing and unchecked tourist development. This is a scuba diver's, snorkeler's, and beachcombers's park. It includes Open Ocean, islands, and beach up to the high-tide mark. Included in this area is Isla Ballena and Rocas las Tres Hermanas, two of Costa Rica's more interesting deepwater dive sites. Several rocky points offer snorkeling and tide-pooling possibilities. Several nice isolated beaches are situated in the park, including Playa Ballena and Playa de Arco.

The park gets its name from the Spanish word for whale, ballena. Several species of whales have been reported in or near the park, including melon-headed whales, sperm whales, and common striped, and spinner dolphins. More species are sure to be recorded here as more complete studies of them are carried out. None of these species have regular migration patterns as far is known, so seeing them is a chance occurrence.

Animals seen here: Common dolphins, bottle-nosed dolphins, humpback whales, Iguanas, ctenosaurs, cherepo.

Birds seen here: Frigatebird, white ibis, brown pelicans.