Drake Bay Offshore Pelagic Birdwatching Tour

Drake Bay Birdwatching's Offshore Pelagic Tour departs the main beach at 06:00 and runs for two hours into the open Pacific Ocean, using GPS and current patterns to locate the productive feeding zone southwest of the Osa Peninsula. The departure point — Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula, consistently ranked among the most biodiverse coastal regions on Earth — sits on the edge of the Golfo Dulce and within easy reach of open ocean, where the warm North Equatorial Counter-Current concentrates an exceptional Eastern Tropical Pacific seabird assemblage around the Caño Island Biological Reserve and in the deep water beyond.

Four booby species are the headline targets of the offshore zone: Red-footed Booby, Nazca Booby, Masked Booby, and Blue-footed Booby are all regular, often encountered in large feeding associations or plunge-diving in synchronised flocks above schooling fish. The Red-billed Tropicbird is seen here more reliably than at almost any other site on the Costa Rican Pacific coast, its long scarlet tail streamers flashing against open sky. Magnificent Frigatebird circles overhead with characteristic mastery, monitoring feeding flocks with predatory patience, while Pomarine Jaeger pursues and harasses smaller seabirds with relentless acrobatic skill. Sabine's Gull and Brown Noddy are regular additions to the open-water assemblage.

Three storm-petrel species dance low over the wave troughs: Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel, Black Storm-Petrel, and Least Storm-Petrel are all regular in the offshore zone, their small size and erratic flight making them a rewarding identification challenge. Shearwaters include Galapagos Shearwater, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, and Pink-footed Shearwater on northward passage; Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters occur in smaller numbers. Red-necked and Red Phalaropes spin on the surface during migration. Bottlenose, Spotted, and Common Dolphins are frequently encountered en route; sea turtles and occasional Whale Sharks are additional highlights of the offshore zone.

The pelagic zone targeted by this tour corresponds to the eBird hotspot "Pelagic to Cano Island" (L615834), one of the most species-rich offshore birding locations in Central America with 114 species recorded across 236 checklists, the most recent from May 2026. Tours are led by Walter Sanchez, a local naturalist guide with a decade of eco-tourism experience across the Osa Peninsula. Contact [email protected] to arrange a departure; advance booking of at least two months is recommended.