The sea was tranquil and calm. And then it emerged as if out of nowhere. A giant mass of gray and white burst out from the ocean then rolled before splashing down, raising a mountain of water into the air. 

This was a sighting of a humpback whale.

You never know exactly what you will see. Perhaps a sighting of them slapping their tails and flippers against the waves, raising their tails out of the water, or thrashing their massive bodies around wildly. Once in a while, a humpback might even impress you with a rolling jump or flip.

These impressive humpbacks migrate to Costa Rica each year from September to October. Every year, like clockwork, these whales travel from the Antarctic down to the tropics to find warm water in which to raise their young. One of these fantastic creatures is recorded at making a 5160-mile trip in only 161 days with her young calf. This migration is the longest recorded for any mammal.

Well, there may be one exception.

At the same time as these beautiful creatures are following their migratory path to the warm tropical waters of Costa Rica another well known mammal is making its way to the beautiful Costa Rican coastal areas. They are known as tourists.

Only a few years ago Hotel La Mansion Inn, perched in the hills of Manuel Antonio, overlooking the Pacific Ocean began to develop the popular “Whale Watching Package”.

Guests from around the world would come to the hotel and relax in true paradise, surrounded by a dense jungle saturated with many species of monkey, sloths, iguanas and a wide selection of tropical birds. During the two day stay in the luxury ocean view room the guests are whisked away to Ballena National Park where they are given the chance of a lifetime to go out on a discovery channel style adventure and come face to face with the giants of the ocean.

Harry Bodaan owner of La Mansion Inn Hotel loves to promote these packages that simply show off the natural and unique beauty of the Costa Rican waters. “We have such a rich and abundant array of impressive wildlife in our country, both in and out of the water”.

“We love watching the first time tourists, wide eyed and overwhelmed with the beauty this place has to offer”.

Hotel La Mansion Inn, 800.360.2071; www.lamansioninn.com