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Combo Tour Marino Ballena National Park
Badge of ExcellenceCentral Pacific, Costa Rica
- 3 hours
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Discover the marine wildlife of Costa Rica's Marino Ballena National Park on this boat tour from Utiva. Look out for humpback whales (during migration season) as well as false-killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, turtles, and various birds including brown boobies, white ibis, and pelicans. In the warmer months, you can also jump off board and go snorkeling in the clear waters.
- Explore Costa Rica's Marino Ballena National Park by boat
- Opportunity to spot marine wildlife in its native habitat
- Look out for whales, turtles, dolphins, and various birds
- Learn all about the park and its wildlife from your guide
What's Included
- Refreshment (Water and Fruit)
- Risk and Inssurance Policy
- Entrance ticket to Marino Ballena National Park
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Marine or dock
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ballena Tour Costa Ricade, 250 metros este de la plaza de Deportes, Provincia de Puntarenas, Uvita, Bahía, 60504, Costa Rica
Just after the soccer field 150 meters west big signs Ballena Tour to the right
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Ticket Redemption Point
Ballena Tour Costa Rica, de, 250 metros este de la plaza de Deportes, Provincia de Puntarenas, Uvita, Bahía, 60504, Costa Rica
What To Expect
Parque Nacional Marino Ballena (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for children under 1 year old and pregnant women under 3 months and over 6 months.
- Accessible for the elderly and people with special motor conditions
- Not recommended for pregnant women under 3 months and over 6 months.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
FionaMushi
Really great tour if we could give more stars we would! Dilan the guide was absolutely amazing!!! He was very knowledgeable and vigilant with our whole group while we were snorkeling. We saw a ton of marine life and the boat ride was SO beautiful. Even the ladies at the office for the tour (especially Giannina) were so kind and funny and made the experience that much better. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip, we met some wonderful people and we will be back for sure!
Reviews
4.5
79 reviews
Arbinderpal_R, Mar 2024
Mariela was incredible, great experience and tour. Would love to do again. Fruits are a great touch and seeing the wildlife
Response from Host, May 2024
Thank you for you comment, we are glad you had a good experience, thanks for choosing us as your best option.
Margaret_A, Feb 2024
Very disappointing tour. No whale sightings, no snorkeling. It was basically a expensive boat ride. Instead of snorkeling, we were only allowed to swim for 10 minutes next to the boat. The boat was packed and we were unable to move around. I had a seat in the back next to the driver (which blocked my view) and saw nothing but water. Been on many amazing Viator tour but this was the worst.
Sarah_M, Feb 2024
Great trip, your guide was friendly, but they really squish you on that boat - you’re practically on top of the person beside you.
Jennifer_M, Feb 2024
This was a disappointing experience. During a peak migration month, I expected to see something, but we saw no whales. I understood upfront there was no guarantee, but our tour operators didn't appear to even be looking for them, instead talking amongst themselves and relying on reports from other tour groups. Note-I've been on other whale watching experiences where the guides really spend time actively looking and finding. Now, we did come across some other boats who found a school of dolphins. But to my dismay, the boats from all the tour companies were moving in way too close. Instead of us just being able to stop and enjoy the moment, these boats were zooming around the dolphins and eventually they just left. The boat was small and uncomfortable. The swimming was mediocre, we were given masks and snorkels but there was absolutely nothing to see. This was a waste of 3 hours. Skip it unless you know of reports that morning of whale sightings.
Jeidy_B, Oct 2023
This experience was unforgettable. Our guide Kiko was super fun. Getting to see whales was the highlight of this trip. Highly recommend it.
michellevessel, Sep 2023
Having the opportunity to travel beside a humpback whale mom & baby for almost an hour was truly an amazing experience. All of the tour guides, boat operators and office staff were very friendly and personable. However, I feel like some more information could be provided upfront to make it clear who this tour is and is not well-suited for. It is somewhat difficult to get into the boat, and you will likely get wet up to your waist while doing so (you have to walk through some low but unpredictable waves near the shore to get on the boat). The boat itself is a small, very fast speedboat that travels at high speeds, so much of the tour was pretty unpleasant, choppy and rocky. You have to hold on for dear life and really stabilize your core to avoid bumping around a lot and potentially even falling out of your seat. If you are vulnerable to seasickness, this is probably not a good tour for you. All in all, we thought it was an enriching experience, but I would not exactly describe it as a pleasant ride, and I would definitely think twice if you have any mobility issues or are not in fairly good physical condition.
amanda_l, Jan 2023
This was a fantastic tour. We really were there to see the humpback whales and Arturo, our tour guide, did not disappoint. They were leaping out of the water in all directions. It was like they were putting on a show show for us and the tales, spouts and backs were popping up in all directions. We were also taken too see the frigatebirds nesting on the cliffs which was amazing. Overall it was a fantastic start to our trip and filled with life sightings that I will treasure.
Christoph_W, Jan 2023
We had a great expierence and see 6-7 whales at the beginning of January. It was really amazing to see them in nature
FionaMushi, Apr 2022
Really great tour if we could give more stars we would! Dilan the guide was absolutely amazing!!! He was very knowledgeable and vigilant with our whole group while we were snorkeling. We saw a ton of marine life and the boat ride was SO beautiful. Even the ladies at the office for the tour (especially Giannina) were so kind and funny and made the experience that much better. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip, we met some wonderful people and we will be back for sure!
Response from Host, Apr 2022
thank you for your comment, we love that our customers leave happy and satisfied and it was a pleasure to share with you we hope to see you soon.
Sharon_B, Feb 2022
Have seen mama whale with baby !
We went close to isla del cano ; was far but super!!
Really recommend !
Response from Host, Feb 2022
Thanks a lot for share your experience ,we do our best and yes we went a little far that day but we found the whales thats important for us you enjoyed and saw the whales.
Pura Vida!
From $77.93
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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