Here is your complete guide to the Costa Rica’s wildlife season, detailing exactly what to see, when to visit, and where to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most awe-inspiring sights in the natural world is an arribada\u2014a mass nesting event where tens of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles emerge from the ocean simultaneously to lay their eggs on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to go: The Ostional Wildlife Refuge<\/a>, located just north of Nosara<\/a> on the Nicoya Peninsula, is one of the only places in the world where this occurs on such a massive scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to go: The arribadas happen roughly once a month around the new moon from July through December, peaking in September and October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to get there: The roads to Ostional can be difficult to navigate during the rainy season. A quick flight to Nosara with Costa Rica Green Airways gets you within a short drive of the refuge, bypassing the muddy coastal routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Costa Rica has the longest humpback whale watching season in the world because it receives migrations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The whales travel thousands of miles to the warm, protected waters of the Pacific coast to mate and give birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to go: The waters off the coast of Uvita and Dominical (accessible via Quepos<\/a>) are part of the Marino Ballena National Park, specifically created to protect these marine giants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to go: The Southern Hemisphere whales arrive between August and October (this is the larger and more active group). The Northern Hemisphere whales visit between December and April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to get there: Fly into Quepos and take a scenic 45-minute drive south along the coastal highway to Uvita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With their brilliant red, blue, and yellow plumage, Scarlet Macaws are the undisputed kings of the Costa Rican canopy. While they were once endangered, aggressive conservation efforts have brought them back in spectacular numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to go: The Osa Peninsula, accessed via Puerto Jim\u00e9nez<\/a>, holds the largest population of Scarlet Macaws in Central America. You will hear their raucous calls before you see them flying in pairs over the jungle canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to go: They are visible year-round, but their nesting season runs from December through May, making them highly active and easier to spot near their nesting trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to get there: The Osa Peninsula is remote. A domestic flight to Puerto Jim\u00e9nez cuts a grueling seven-hour drive down to a breathtaking 50-minute flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Suggested Image: A pair of Scarlet Macaws perched in an almond tree.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The transition from the dry season to the green season triggers an explosion of life in the rainforest. As the rains return, the jungle blooms, providing abundant food sources. This abundance prompts many species to give birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to go: The dense rainforests of Manuel Antonio National Park<\/a>, located near Quepos, are perfect for spotting baby sloths clinging to their mothers, tiny howler monkeys learning to climb, and juvenile white-faced capuchins playing in the lower canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to go: May through August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to get there: Book a quick flight to Quepos and you will be at the entrance of Manuel Antonio National Park in less than 20 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When chasing seasonal wildlife events, time is of the essence. Spending six hours in a rental car means missing morning feeding times or evening nesting events. By utilizing Costa Rica Green Airways’ network of domestic flights<\/a>, you can seamlessly hop between the turtle nesting grounds of Nosara, the whale watching waters near Quepos, and the macaw havens of Puerto Jim\u00e9nez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the only ARGUS Gold certified<\/a> domestic airline in the country, we provide safe, reliable, and comfortable access to Costa Rica’s wildest destinations. Book your flights today<\/a> and start planning your ultimate wildlife itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n While nature is never 100% guaranteed, visiting Marino Ballena National Park between August and October offers an exceptionally high probability of seeing humpback whales, as this is their peak breeding and calving season.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n No. Costa Rica has strict laws protecting its wildlife, and the country promotes a “Stop Animal Selfies” campaign. It is illegal and unethical to touch, hold, or feed wild animals, including sloths and monkeys.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The jungle is most active during the early morning (from sunrise to about 9:00 AM) and late afternoon. Animals tend to rest deep in the shade during the heat of midday.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While you can hike the trails alone, hiring a certified local guide is highly recommended. Guides carry high-powered spotting scopes and have trained eyes to find perfectly camouflaged animals like sloths, frogs, and vipers that you would likely walk right past.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Costa Rica Green Airways operates year-round. While afternoon showers are common during the green season, flights are scheduled primarily in the morning when the weather is typically clear and calm, ensuring safe and reliable travel.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Access to the beach during an arribada is strictly controlled. You must be accompanied by a certified local guide, use red-light flashlights (which do not disturb the turtles), and maintain a respectful distance to ensure the turtles can nest safely.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discover the ultimate Costa Rica’s wildlife season calendar. Learn exactly when and where to see humpback whales, sea turtles, and baby sloths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-es"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6718"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6814,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6718\/revisions\/6814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Costa](\"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1_JUST-THE-TWO-OF-US-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Sea Turtle “Arribadas” (July to December)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Costa](\"https:\/\/costaricagreenair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Humpback Whale Migrations (August to October & December to April)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scarlet Macaw Nesting (December to May)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Jungle “Baby Season” (May to August)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Maximize Your Viewing during Costa Rica’s Wildlife Season by Flying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are you guaranteed to see whales during the Costa Rica wildlife season?<\/h3>\n
Can I touch or hold the wildlife in Costa Rica?<\/h3>\n
What is the best time of day to see wildlife in Costa<\/h3>\n
Do I need a guide to see wildlife in the national parks?<\/h3>\n
Are domestic flights affected by the rainy season?<\/h3>\n
How close can you get to the sea turtles at Ostional?<\/h3>\n