Changing Tide Tours finds the dolphins over 80% of the time. Come with us! Enjoy a fun, informative, 30+ mile guided tour as the Golfo Dulce (‘Sweet Gulf’) serves up its many wonders. Whales, dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks, sea turtles, sharks, schooling fish, and sea birds have been seen by our guests. Our new 26-foot, nine passenger tour boats are equipped with quiet, eco-friendly four stroke motors, contoured seats and a full-canopy sun top for your comfort and protection. After a short crossing, you will experience the Gulf’s lush rugged Eastern Shore, up close and personal to “one of the world’s four tropical fiords.” Your english speaking captain and his crew will offer swimming, snorkeling *plane boarding, and *air chair when and where dive conditions exist. When you return to the boat, rinse off under a fresh water shower. Tour duration is 4-5 hours. Please ask your tour operator or Lodge host for details.

Drinking water is provided. Departure from the town pier is 8 AM, returning in time for lunch.
Note: The Osa Wildlife Sanctuary may be included in your tour by adding the required $25 per person entrance fee. Dolphin tour with the Sanctuary departs at 7:30am.

This is considered the most all-inclusive boat tour on the Gulf. You’ll explore over 35 miles of the Golfo Dulce, its lush coastline, its deltas, and its mangrove estuaries. You'll experience everything offered on our Dolphin Watch Eco Tour, PLUS You’ll wind your way through the jungle on an informative guided excursion up the Rio Esquinas. NOTE: Access to the Rio Esquinas is tide-dependent, so please contact your tour cooridinators or lodge hosts for tour days (when tide permits),times of departure, and pricing.

Drinking water is provided. Departure from the town pier is 8 AM, returning in time for lunch.
NOTE: Due to scheduling constraints, caused by variable high tides at the rivermouth, the Sanctuary cannot be included on this tour.

*What is Plane boarding?

Low altitude flying, except you’re under water. While wearing a dive mask and flotation vest, you will be pulled slowly behind the boat at the end of a tether, holding onto your plane board. With this custom-shaped board, you will be able to dive and surface with complete control. In shallow water you can glide above the sea floor. It’s easy to learn, and it’s a blast!

To see plane boarding in action check out the video on our homepage

*What's it like sitting in the Dolphin Deck and Air Chair?

It's like low altitude flying over the water, looking down at the Dolphins from a spectacular vantage point. It's 100% safe and 200% fun!

*Do We Recommend the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary?

Absolutely! Over 60% of our tours include a visit to the Sanctuary. Our guests tell us it is a welcome counterpoint, providing an interesting 'terrestrial' variation to an aquatic tour experience. In one tour, you will receive an informative, guided tour of the Golfo Dulce. You will search for dolphins, swim, plane board, and snorkel the reefs (when and where clear water conditions permit), PLUS tour one of the more interesting and worthwhile animal sanctuary projects in Costa Rica.
Osa Wildlife Sanctuary age limitations?
For safety reasons, no children under six years of age will be allowed in the Sanctuary. These are Osa Wildlife Sanctuary rules. Parents may trade-off child caring to enjoy the facility. Changing Tide Tours will make a price adjustment in these cases.

*The Small Print

The tour price for up to five guests is the same even if the boat has less than five guests. This is strictly a business decision. These 'minimum guest' requirements are financially marginal for Changing Tide Tours. It is the responsibility of the individual group, tour operator, or lodge host to maximize seating up to the minimum (five persons) in order to recieve the best value.