Whales in "Whale Bay"

The tides were getting a bit extreme for comfort, especially with the shallow depths at Puerto Azul. Instead of spending 12 hours a day biting our nails, we decided to head out into the Gulf of Nicoya. Besides, we needed to get the hull cleaned, and there's no way either of us were going to dive in the waters of the estero.

We made our way to our favorite anchorage out here, Bahía Ballena (also known as Playa Tambor). The locals are friendly, there's usually a gentle breeze to keep us cool, and even better, there's more reliable 'Net access than at the marina!

The cruise over was beyond uneventful, and we spent a peaceful night at anchor. Imagine our surprise the next morning when we looked out and saw splashing all the way across the bay! Looking through the binocs, it was clear they were not wayward dolphins either.





We jumped in the dinghy and headed out. Shortly, we were yards away from a couple of whales. Mother and calf were frolicking in the calm waters of the bay. We watched in awe for about fifteen minutes before they decided to head back out to sea.

Not wanting to say goodbye so soon, we followed them to the mouth of the bay. Once in deeper waters, they spent more time below. Before long, the pair were out of sight.