An exciting activity for expats in Costa Rica

After relocating to Costa Rica, it is important to stay busy to avoid boredom. Fortunately, Costa Rica offers 100s of both indoor and outdoor activities and venues.

One important event is the Festival of Whales and Dolphins which takes place annually at Bahía Ballena (Whale Bay) near the town of Uvita in the South Pacific region of the country. The festival includes many activities such as a workshop on kite making, handicrafts for sale, different types of food from the region, and music and dance. Attendees can even take a boat ride to observe the whales, close-up. Precautions are taken to avoid having a whale capsize the boats.

Humpback migrate to this region annually to mate and give birth to their young. The process of gestation takes approximately eleven months. In general, these whales travel from waters to the south in June and stay until October before returning home. The newly born whales (ballenatos) weigh between one and two tons)

The Humpback is spectacular for its ability to leap out of the water. Exposing their fins and tails. In fact, their pectoral fin is the largest of any other species of whale. On the average they are about 50 feet long which is about the length of a tractor trailer. They weigh about 40 tons,  which is the equivalent of four adult elephants. Their lifespan is between 60 to eighty years.

Despite their size, whales don’t see humans as something that they can eat so they aren’t naturally aggressive towards us. Most whales are very social animals and they are also naturally very curious.

Humpback whales are also known for their magical songs. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning.