Punta Ballena

Punta Ballena, Spanish for Whale Point, is a dive site in the Gulf of Papagayo, about 20 minutes away by boat. It is marked by a narrow range of rocks that stick out from the surface and slope gradually down into the depths, with a sandy bottom all around.

The top of the dive is very shallow, around 8 metres (26 ft), and the deepest part is around 22 metres (75 ft). On the descent the rocks are kept on the right hand side. The site can also be snorkelled when the water is calm and there is not too much swell.

Marine life here includes stingrays and eagle rays feeding in the sand, and sometimes golden cow-nose rays. Large eels, octopus and lobsters sit between the rocks, and eagle rays pass overhead in the blue. Towards the deeper end there are cleaning stations for stingrays, where small cleaner wrasse work on the rays and other tropical fish.