Five sea animals in Costa Rica that you should know (and where to see them)
Costa Rica is a privileged country for possessing the most diverse and sublime natural landscape, in which beautiful islands stand out with some very rich varieties in their biological reserves.
Among these islands we can name Isla del Caño, which is one of the most beautiful islands in Costa Rica.
.Located 45 minutes from the Ballena Marine Park, this biological reserve is home to a huge and diverse number of sea animals to observe.
We cannot fail to also consider other beautiful islands such as the Bat Islands, which are a set of an archipelago.
It´s formed by 5 impressive islands belonging to the Santa Rosa National Park, an important diving center and the Catalinas Islands, an exciting diving center, to the north of Guanacaste.
Costa Rica can present unique animals that we will not find in other places on the planet.
Here are 5 sea animals that you will love to meet. Take a look!
1. The Bull Shark
Among the most important sea animals that you can see in Costa Rica is the Bull Shark.
It is an elongated and robust shark with a grayish-brown coloration on the dorsal part, and a lighter color on the ventral part. Its fins are rigid and the tail has the upper part longer than the lower part.
It has narrow, long teeth with a smooth edge, ideal for holding prey and swallowing it whole. It normally swims near the sandy bottoms with little depth and usually comes very close to the coast.
The Bull Shark is frequent in the Bat Islands, one of the best dive sites in Costa Rica.
2. The Giant Manta ray
The giant manta ray is another important marine animal that you can find in Costa Rica.
Giant Pacific Manta Ray, without a doubt it can be seen in the Catalina Islands in the winter between the months of December to May.
Swimming alongside a manta ray is an experience not many divers have had.
This marine animal is one of the giants of the ocean.
Manta rays are a family of sharks and can measure 8 meters and weigh about 1,400 kilograms.
3. Sea Turtles
They are probably the most charismatic reptiles we know, exotic animals that with their huge and striking shell, in addition to their peculiar and slow way of swimming, captivate many people.
Two of the best marine ecosystems to see sea turtles in Costa Rica are the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Guanacaste and the Tortuguero National Park, northeast of the Costa Rican territory.
4. Whitetip Reef Shark
Whitetip reef sharks are the types of requiem sharks.
These sea animals are small in size compared to other sharks.
However, the common size is around 1.5m long, which is a considerable size compared to other animal species.
These sharks have a slender body with a large head.
His eyes are oval in shape with vertical pupils.
Whitetip Reef Shark are not normally dangerous to humans.
They like to go to depths of water in between 6m to 40m. They usually hunt at night and love to rest on the bottom of the reef during the day.
In your diving experience in Isla del Caño you will be able to meet these specimens that are part of the marine fauna of Costa Rica.
Click here to find out more about white tip sharks
5. The Eagle ray
Eagle rays are the type of cartilaginous fish. They are usually quite large.
These animals survive by eating crustaceans and molluscs, breaking the shells with their powerful teeth.
Compared to other species of rays, they like to live in the open ocean rather than on the seabed.
They have longer tails than the rest of the ray species.
Another curious fact is that females are usually larger than males. You can see these sea animals of Costa Rica mainly on Caño Island.
