Marino Ballena National Park

Marino Ballena National Park is a coastal and marine protected area on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast near the town of Uvita, named for the whale-tail shaped sandbar at Punta Uvita. The park protects beaches, reefs and marine habitat important for marine mammals and coastal biodiversity.

The park’s best-known feature is the Whale’s Tail sandbar, which is exposed at low tide and forms a distinctive natural platform for beach access and viewing. Offshore reefs and islets offer snorkeling and marine-wildlife observation, while the coastal waters are recognised for seasonal humpback whale migrations.

Created to conserve coastal and marine ecosystems and the migratory routes used by large whales, the park protects nesting beaches, reef systems and intertidal habitats important to local biodiversity and tourism.

The park is located on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific shoreline near Uvita in the Puntarenas region, accessible from coastal roads that serve the southern Pacific resorts and towns.

• Whale migration season: Humpback whales migrate past the park seasonally, with the highest probability of sightings during the main southern hemisphere season between December and April.
• Whale's Tail visibility: The Whale's Tail sandbar is exposed at low tide and is the park's most recognisable natural formation and popular photo spot.

What to See #

• Whale's Tail (Punta Uvita): The Whale's Tail (Cola de Ballena) is a prominent sandbar and reef formation at Punta Uvita that becomes exposed at low tide and is the park's signature feature.
• Coral reefs and islets: Fringing coral reefs, rocky islets and intertidal zones offshore support snorkeling, marine life observation and local fisheries.