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 The
Ballena Marine National Park was created in February
1990 to protect the shoreline of Bahía de Coronado
and includes Punta Uvita, several beaches (notably Playa
Ballena), plus 4,500 hectares of water surrounding Isla
Ballena. The park extends south for 15 km from Uvita
to Punta Piñuela, and about 15 km out to sea.
The
park harbors within its relatively small area important
mangroves and the largest coral reef on the Pacific
coast of Central America. Green marine iguanas live
on algae in the saltwater pools. They litter the golden-sand
beaches like prehistoric jetsam, their bodies angled
at 90 degrees to catch the sun's rays most directly.
Once they reach 37° C, they pop down to the sea
for a bite to eat. Olive ridley and hawksbill turtles
come ashore May-November to lay their eggs (September
and October are the best months to visit). Common
and bottle-nosed dolphins frolic offshore. And the
bay is the southernmost mating site for the humpback
whale, which migrates from Alaska, Baja California,
and Hawaii (Dec.-April).
Snorkeling
is good close to shore during low tides. You can also
reach the island at the tip of Punta Uvita at low
tide to discover corals, sponges, and sea anemones.
There are caves worth exploring. Isla Ballena and
the rocks known as Las Tres Hermanas (The Three Sisters)
are havens for frigate birds and boobies as well as
pelicans and even ibises. Whales tend to
congregate near Las Tres Hermanas.
Despite
protection, shrimp fishermen still fish with impunity
close to shore using gill nets that are indiscriminate
about the species they trap. And erosion and sedimentation
resulting from construction of the coastal highway
have killed off at least 60 percent of the coral reef.
Information:
The ranger station and park headquarters, tel./fax
786-7161, is beside the beach at Hacienda Bahía,
three km south of Uvita. There's another ranger station
at Playa Piñuela, at the southern end of the
park. Nominally the entrance fee is $6, but a fee
seems to be charged only rarely. You can camp on the
beach. The ranger stations have water.
Getting
There: You can hire a boat and guide at any of the
fishing hamlets between Palmar and the park, or in
Dominical or Uvita, to take you to the reef or Isla
Ballena (about $30 per hour, $45 two hours).
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