Whale watching from Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Montezuma and Tambor in 2026: humpback seasons by month, the private whale charter from Tambor at $650, what Tortuga Island boats offer, regulations, seasickness, and where the real whale trips are.
Humpback whales pass this coast twice a year, southern whales from July to November and northern whales from December to April, but Santa Teresa has no scheduled whale watching boat. The one dedicated option is a private charter from Tambor at $650 for up to five people (Raccoon Travels). Everything else is luck on a Tortuga Island, snorkel or fishing boat, and the organised whale trips are in Uvita, a long way south.
The short version
If you are staying in Santa Teresa and want to see a whale, you have three realistic routes. Book the private four hour whale charter from Tambor if you have a group to split it, or add a whale watching leg to a Tortuga Island day at $750 to $1,110 per boat. Join a normal Isla Tortuga trip between August and October, when whales are in the gulf, and accept that a sighting is a bonus. Or plan one day trip to Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita, where most Costa Rican whale watching actually happens.
I would not pay extra for any advertised "whale watching" from Santa Teresa that is not a private charter. A shared boat with a dedicated whale itinerary does not run on a schedule here, and the operators that say you "may be lucky" are telling the truth.
When the whales are here
Costa Rica gets two humpback populations that arrive in different seasons, according to the Tico Times in June 2026.
| Period | Whales | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mid July to mid November | Southern hemisphere humpbacks | August and September are widely considered peak months |
| Mid December to March, some in April | Northern hemisphere humpbacks | Dry season, calmest sea |
| May to late June | Few whales | The quietest stretch |
The Raccoon Travels FAQ names February, August and September as its best months. Its description also gives mid July to mid November and mid December to April as the two seasons, which matches the general pattern.
There is no sighting rate published for this coast. Operators in Uvita quote success of over 90% in peak months, and I treat that figure as marketing even there. Around Santa Teresa and the Gulf of Nicoya no operator I found publishes a rate, and the organised whale watching hubs are further south. For planning, August and September are the months with the best chance, January and February second, and May and June the worst.
Raccoon Travels, private whale charter from Tambor
Raccoon Travels sells a private whale watching tour on a boat that leaves from the Bahia Ballena Yacht Club at Tambor (also called Pochote). It is not in the Onda directory yet. The itinerary on its page is a 9:30am departure, onboard talks about migration, and a 1:30pm return, so about four hours on the water. Rates are per boat, not per person:
| Group | Whale watching only | Whale watching plus Tortuga Island |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 guests | $650 | $750 |
| 5 to 7 guests (6 to 9 on the Tortuga version) | $850 | $1,050 |
| 8 to 12 guests (10 to 12 on the Tortuga version) | $975 | $1,110 |
The Tortuga version ends about an hour later. Included are a guide, water, natural juice and fresh fruit, and beer on the Tortuga version, and lunch is not included. The company lists transport from Santa Teresa as an extra, shown as $120 for up to 7 people and $150 for 8 to 12, and the page does not make clear whether the first figure is per person or per vehicle, so confirm that before you book. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before. The page contradicts itself in places on duration and on whether pickup is standard, so get the final itinerary in writing.
Who it suits: families or friends of five or more who want a private boat and have a week to wait for a calm day. It is expensive for a couple at $325 each, and no private whale charter can guarantee a whale.
Tortuga Island boats: the chance sighting
Every Tortuga day tour runs 50 minutes each way through the whale route, and operators say so. Zuma Tours' page says humpback and pilot whales may be seen if you are "lucky", with no season given. Zuma's trip leaves from Montezuma, Cabuya, Mal Pais, Santa Teresa or Tambor, takes about seven hours, and costs roughly $85 to $140 per person depending on pickup (one marketplace shows $130). Zuma Tours is at Plaza Kahuna in Santa Teresa and on WhatsApp at (506) 8840-4389.
Tiko Tours runs a private Tortuga day from the Tambor pier at $480 plus tax for up to four people, and the Isla Tortuga guide has the details. The Montezuma tour to Tortuga Island listing is another boat that follows the same route. A late August to October morning on one of these is the best time to hope, because you are on the water early when the gulf is flat. Dolphins, manta rays and turtles are more likely than whales, and you still get snorkelling and lunch for the price.
Tambor, Montezuma and Mal Pais
Boats leave from three places that matter here. Tambor's yacht club is the departure for the private charter above. Montezuma beach is where Zuma and others launch for Tortuga. Mal Pais has the fishermen's cove where the local pangas launch. The cove publishes no whale price, schedule or operator, so none is listed here. The fishing guide names the captains who work the Mal Pais water, and a captain on the water every day can tell you whether whales are around that week.
The real whale trips: Marino Ballena
The Pacific coast's well known whale watching is at Marino Ballena National Park near Uvita, which the Tico Times calls perhaps the most famous whale watching site in the country, and in Golfo Dulce around the Osa Peninsula. A guide from Costa Rica Divers puts Uvita tours at about $75 to $120 per person, with groups of 10 to 20, three to four hours, and most boats leaving from the beach at the park around 7 to 8am. Uvita is far to the south on the mainland, past the ferry, so it is a travel day rather than a day trip from Santa Teresa. If whales are the point of your trip, base yourself there for a night in August or September. Our getting to Santa Teresa guide and ferry guide explain the crossing.
Regulations
Costa Rican rules for boats near whales, as summarised by the Costa Rica Divers guide, are that boats keep at least 100 metres from the animals, turn engines off or into neutral when whales approach, spend no more than 30 minutes with a group, and share the area with no more than three boats at a time. Swimming with or touching whales is not allowed. Those are published by a dive operator, not by the government, so they are a guide to what a responsible captain will do, not a legal citation. A captain who chases a whale, cuts across its path, or puts you in the water with it is breaking the standard everyone else follows.
Seasickness and comfort
The gulf is calmest in the morning, and most boats from this coast are open or half covered, with bench seating and a bumpy return in the afternoon chop. If you are prone to seasickness, take medication 30 minutes before you board, eat lightly, stay in the middle of the boat and look at the horizon. Ginger candies and acupressure wristbands help some people. Bring a hat, sun protection, a rain layer in green season, a dry bag and a towel. Children can go on the Tortuga day boats, but a four hour whale charter is long for under fives.
Which should you book
Use the best-time-to-visit guide to place your dates against the whale seasons. If you are here July to November and have a group of five, ask Raccoon Travels for a quote. If you are two people, book a shared Tortuga day and treat any whale as a gift. If you need whales for certain, go to Uvita in August or September. The rainy season guide has the sea conditions for those months, and the wildlife guide covers what else you may see on land.
Browse every tour and outdoor operator in one place at the /directory/activities hub.
FAQ
When is whale watching season in Santa Teresa?
Southern humpbacks pass from mid July to mid November, with August and September as the peak, and northern humpbacks come from December through March with some sightings into April. May and June are the quietest months.
Can you see whales from Santa Teresa beach?
Nobody here points to a reliable spot for seeing whales from shore, so do not plan around it. Boat trips in the gulf are the better bet.
How much is a whale watching tour from Santa Teresa?
A private four hour whale charter from Tambor with Raccoon Travels is $650 for up to five guests, $850 for five to seven and $975 for eight to twelve. Transport from Santa Teresa is extra. A shared Tortuga Island trip costs about $85 to $140 per person and only offers a chance sighting.
Is there a whale watching tour from Mal Pais or Montezuma?
Neither runs a scheduled whale tour. Montezuma and Mal Pais boats run Tortuga Island trips on which humpback whales may appear. For a dedicated trip, the Tambor charter or Uvita are the options.
What are the rules for approaching whales?
Boats stay at least 100 metres away, switch engines off when whales approach, limit time to 30 minutes per group, and nobody swims with or touches the whales. Ask the captain how they follow these before you book.
What if I get seasick?
Take medication 30 minutes before boarding, sit in the middle of the boat, watch the horizon and drink water. Morning departures have the calmest water.
