Ship out to the open ocean for a half-day spent searching for and observing impressive marine mammals, including dolphins, whales, sea turtles and manta rays. You might see a 40-ton humpback whale breaching or spot a pod of bottlenose dolphins leaping alongside your boat. In the water below, keep your eyes focused for rays or sea turtles gliding gracefully onward. Birders will be pleased as well, as a great variety of avian species can be observed along rocky coastal formations. These tours, which depart from places like Manual Antonio, Drake Bay and Uvita, are led by a bilingual guide and occasionally are a part of combination tours that can include snorkeling, hiking, and beach time.
10 Things to Do
Take an adventurous, all-inclusive tour of the gorgeous coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. Along the way, you’ll have ample opportunity for spotting wildlife as well as relaxing in the natural beauty of Tortuga Island. This is an all-day tour—your boat departs at 9 AM from Montezuma and returns at 4 PM.
7 hrs
From $67This tour leaves departs from Drake Bay at 7:00 AM and includes two dives off of Caño Island. Your guide will take you to some of the most popular dive sites in the area, where you can see a ton of pelagic fish as well as manta rays. Divers treasure this site because it’s so beautifully preserved – no one is allowed to fish or collect shells in a 3-mile radius surrounding the island.
6 hrs
From $93Go diving at the Catalina Islands to see one of the country’s most beautiful diving sites. Divers in this area often find themselves surrounded by schools of colorful fish, manta rays, and stingrays.
5 hrs
From $113The Bahia Aventuras Combo Tour combines elements of some of the most popular tours - whale/dolphin watching and snorkeling - into one rip-roaring, exciting day of adventure.
4 hrs
From $80Visit the pristine beach at Playa Ocotal for an easygoing scuba diving experience. This dive takes place just off the coast, so it won’t take long to boat to your dive site. These dives call for 1 to 3 tanks, and each immersion usually takes about 45 minutes.
4 hrs
From $98On this tour you will go for a nighttime walk on the beaches of Marino Las Baulas National Park to look for green turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Instead of the park’s heavily trafficked Playa Grande, you will head for the lesser-known Minas or Jesus Nombre beaches.
4 hrs
From $118Spend your day snorkeling and swimming in the clear waters of the Caño Island Biological Reserve and Violines Island.
9 hrs
From $149Playa Ocotal’s pristine waters are usually fairly calm, so the wildlife here gets to live a fairly peaceful existence. Because of this, Playa Ocotal has the ideal atmosphere for snorkeling.
4 hrs
From $59Marine Mammals frequent the waters surrounding Drake Bay and the goal of this trip is to search for and observe animals in there natural habitat but not to disturb or disrupt them. It is common to find whales, dolphins, manta rays and sea turtles.
1 hr
See ProfileYour vacation is all about fun, sun, and adventure. Learn how to scuba dive in the tropical waters of Costa Rica with this beginner's scuba diving certification course. It's a great way get your feet wet and see if you want to go for your full diver's certification. This entry-level course will take you to a maximum depth of 40 feet .
15 hrs
From $364- Elliot H.
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