Ballena Marine National Park

Ballena Marine National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Marino Ballena), is a National Park of Costa Rica, part of the Osa Conservation Area created as a safe area for humpback whale migration, hence its name, as Ballena is the Spanish word for whale.

Ballena Marine National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
View of the marine park
Location within Costa Rica
LocationPuntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Nearest citySan Isidro de El General
Coordinates9°09′21″N 83°45′17″W
Area5,160 ha (12,800 acres) marine
171 ha (420 acres) terrestrial.
Established9 June 1992
Governing bodyNational System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)
www.sinac.go.cr/ES/ac/acosa/pnmb/Paginas/default.aspx
Location in Costa Rica

The national park has an area of 5,160 ha (12,800 acres) marine, and 171 ha (420 acres) terrestrial. The park was created by executive decree Nº 21294-MIRENEM on 9 June 1992.[1]

From December to April, the park is visited by migrating humpback whales who come to breed in the warmer tropical waters off the Central American coast. From June to November, the whales migrate north to the West Coast of the United States and southern British Columbia, where they feed.[2]

In the terrestrial area of the park there are the beaches of Ballena beach, Uvita bay beach and Piñuela beach.

References

  1. "Parque Nacional Marino Ballena". SINAC. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  2. "NOAA Fisheries page on Humpback Whales". NOAA. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
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