Manuel Antonio Whale Watching Tour

Whale Watching in Manuel Antonio — A World-Class Experience

The waters off Manuel Antonio National Park offer one of the most remarkable whale watching experiences on Earth. Thanks to a unique geographic and oceanographic phenomenon, humpback whales from two different hemispheres converge in Costa Rica's warm Pacific waters from July through November — making Manuel Antonio and Quepos one of the only places in the world where you can potentially see both Northern and Southern Hemisphere humpback populations on a single trip.

Humpback whales are the showboats of the cetacean world. Their dramatic breaching behavior — launching their 40-ton bodies completely clear of the water — is a sight that defies belief when seen in person. Add to this their characteristic fluke displays (raising their tail flukes before a deep dive), pec-slapping, and spy-hopping, and you have a wildlife performance that no camera can fully capture.

Departing from Quepos Marina in the early morning when seas are typically calmest, your expert marine naturalist guide leads you to the waters where whale activity has been reported. These guides are in daily contact with local fishing boats and other vessels, meaning real-time intelligence about whale locations significantly increases sighting success.

En route to the whale watching grounds, dolphin encounters are nearly guaranteed — spinner dolphins in groups of hundreds are a common sight in these waters, and bottlenose dolphins frequently approach to ride the boat's bow wave. Other potential sightings include sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, various ray species, and tropical seabirds.

Depending on the season, guests also sometimes encounter Bryde's whales, pilot whales, and occasionally orca pods — making every whale watching departure a genuine adventure with no predictable script.