Ballena Ocean National Park, Mid Pacific Vacations and Luxury Travel Packages
The Ballena Ocean National Park was first established in 1990, but has not had many visitors. The 13-kilometerlong park directly south of Uvita consists of 4,500 hectares, primarily made up of mangrove swamps, river estuaries and nesting areas for birds. The park is best known for its coral reef; the longest along the entire Central American Pacific coast. The Spanish word ballena means "whale." This refers, on the one hand, to a whale-shaped island off the coast, and on the other hand, to the humpbacked whales that migrate from Alaska via Baja California to Costa Rica. They are frequently sighted between December and April when they swim in the warm waters of the Pacific with their young.
The mighty sea mammals are not the only creatures that represent the richly varied fauna of the park. Frolicking dolphins can be seen throughout the year. Birds, including frigate birds and bluefooted boobies, nest on Whale Island. Bastard and loggerhead turtles crawl onto its beaches in September and October to lay their eggs.
Iguanas, basilisk lizards and - especially noticeable - the green iguanas that feed on algae in the salt-water pools and sun themselves on the beaches or rocks also live here. Once their body temperature has reached 37°C following a sunbath on the beach, they are warm enough to take another dip and eat another portion of green algae.
In terms of flora, it is worth noting that all five kinds of mangrove found in Costa Rica are present in this park: red, teacolored, black, white and buttonwood mangrove. At ebb tide you can swim out from the beach and snorkel among the corals, sponges and sea anemones that create a colorful underwater landscape.
The construction of the new coastal road is an obvious threat to the delicate ecology of the reef. Oysters, mussels and tropical fish - the entire eco-system of the underwater world - could be effected. The first attempt to widen the coastal highway in the 1980s was disastrous, and resulted in 60 percent of the reef being destroyed, but the planners and politicians did not seem to have learned anything from the experience.
The Ballena National Park has no hotels, but camping is still allowed on the beaches. The ranger station in the village of Bahia has information about the park, especially about good places to snorkel. From here, too, boats for island tours can be chartered.
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