Utría National Natural Park

🇨🇴 Colombia

🐋 Humpback Whale Bay

⏱ 2–3 days 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #95 Global · 4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #18 in South America #41 in Tropical Forest

Pacific Coast, Colombia 1044 spp. recorded

Utría protects a calm Pacific fjord on the ultra-wet Chocó coast, reached only by boat from Nuquí or Bahía Solano. Its sheltered bay is a globally important humpback-whale nursery and a nesting beach for sea turtles.

5.985° N 77.286° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

Chocó Poison Dart Frog

Oophaga solanensis

60–70% · Likely

Chocó Toucan

Ramphastos brevis

50–60% · Likely

Pacific Ridley

Lepidochelys olivacea

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

70–80% · Very likely

Condoto Stubfoot Toad

Atelopus spurrelli

60–70% · Likely

Black-mandibled Toucan

Ramphastos ambiguus

50–60% · Likely

White-tailed Trogon

Trogon chionurus

50–60% · Likely

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

50–60% · Likely

Western Basilisk

Basiliscus galeritus

50–60% · Likely

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

50–60% · Likely

Kokoe Poison Frog

Phyllobates aurotaenia

50–60% · Likely

Hylocharis humboldtii

Chrysuronia humboldtii

40–50% · Likely

Chestnut-backed Antbird

Myrmeciza exsul

40–50% · Likely

Western Slaty-Antshrike

Thamnophilus atrinucha

40–50% · Likely

Middle American Ameiva

Holcosus festivus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Geoffroy’s Tamarin

Saguinus geoffroyi

Insufficient data

Red-tailed Squirrel

Sciurus granatensis

Insufficient data

Southern Elephant Seal

Mirounga leonina

Insufficient data

Brown-throated Sloth

Bradypus variegatus

Insufficient data

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

Insufficient data

Derby's Woolly Opossum

Caluromys derbianus

Insufficient data

Greater Spear-nosed Bat

Phyllostomus hastatus

Insufficient data

White-throated Capuchin

Cebus capucinus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Chocó Toucan

Ramphastos brevis

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

70–80% · Very likely

Black-mandibled Toucan

Ramphastos ambiguus

50–60% · Likely

White-tailed Trogon

Trogon chionurus

50–60% · Likely

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

50–60% · Likely

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

50–60% · Likely

Hylocharis humboldtii

Chrysuronia humboldtii

40–50% · Likely

Chestnut-backed Antbird

Myrmeciza exsul

40–50% · Likely

Western Slaty-Antshrike

Thamnophilus atrinucha

40–50% · Likely

Ringed Kingfisher

Megaceryle torquata

40–50% · Likely

Pale-vented Pigeon

Patagioenas cayennensis

40–50% · Likely

Flame-rumped Tanager

Ramphocelus flammigerus

40–50% · Likely

Scarlet-rumped Cacique

Cacicus uropygialis

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Pacific Ridley

Lepidochelys olivacea

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Western Basilisk

Basiliscus galeritus

50–60% · Likely

Middle American Ameiva

Holcosus festivus

40–50% · Likely

Mourning Gecko

Lepidodactylus lugubris

30–40% · Possible

Panamanian Puffing Snake

Phrynonax shropshirei

Insufficient data

Fer-de-lance

Bothrops asper

30–40% · Possible

Bocourt's Dwarf Iguana

Enyalioides heterolepis

Insufficient data

Popeyan Giant Anole

Anolis latifrons

Insufficient data

Rough Coffee Snake

Nothopsis rugosus

Insufficient data

Turniptail Gecko

Thecadactylus rapicauda

Insufficient data

Chocoan Forest Pit Viper

Bothrops punctatus

Insufficient data

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Hydrophis platurus

Insufficient data

Central American Boa

Boa imperator

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Chocó Poison Dart Frog

Oophaga solanensis

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Condoto Stubfoot Toad

Atelopus spurrelli

60–70% · Likely

Kokoe Poison Frog

Phyllobates aurotaenia

50–60% · Likely

Yellow-bellied Poison Frog

Andinobates fulguritus

40–50% · Likely

Forest Toad

Rhinella alata

40–50% · Likely

Green and Black Dart-poison Frog

Dendrobates auratus

Insufficient data

Fringe-Limbed Tree Frog

Cochranella euknemos

Insufficient data

Masked Tree Frog

Smilisca phaeota

Insufficient data

Dwarf Glass Frog

Teratohyla spinosa

Insufficient data

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

Insufficient data

Choco Robber Frog

Strabomantis anomalus

Insufficient data

Ghost Glass Frog

Sachatamia ilex

Insufficient data

Tatayo's Glass Frog

Hyalinobatrachium tatayoi

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐋

Humpback Whale Season

JulAugSepOct

Humpback whales gather in the sheltered Ensenada de Utría to calve and court, breaching and tail-slapping within sight of the shore.

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

🐢

Sea Turtle Nesting

AugSepOctNov

Olive ridley turtles haul out onto the park's Pacific beaches at night to lay their eggs above the tideline.

Pacific Ridley

Lepidochelys olivacea

Insufficient data

🐸

Chocó Poison Frog Season

AprMayJunSepOctNov

The perpetually wet Chocó forest floor glows with tiny endemic poison frogs, including the Chocó and harlequin species, calling among the leaf litter.

Condoto Stubfoot Toad

Atelopus spurrelli

60–70% · Likely

Chocó Poison Dart Frog

Oophaga solanensis

60–70% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

0–10

0–10

20–30

0–10

10–20

30–40

60–70

70–80

60–70

30–40

0–10

10–20

Chocó Poison Dart Frog

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

50–60

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

40–50

40–50

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

50–60

40–50

60–70

40–50

0–10

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

50–60

0–10

10–20

Spotted Sandpiper

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

70–80

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

Condoto Stubfoot Toad

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

Black-mandibled Toucan

50–60

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

70–80

60–70

White-tailed Trogon

50–60

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

Great-tailed Grackle

40–50

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

Western Basilisk

50–60

70–80

30–40

50–60

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

50–60

70–80

40–50

30–40

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

40–50

Kokoe Poison Frog

20–30

80–90

30–40

50–60

30–40

70–80

50–60

20–30

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

Hylocharis humboldtii

50–60

70–80

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

20–30

50–60

60–70

30–40

Chestnut-backed Antbird

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

Western Slaty-Antshrike

40–50

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

Middle American Ameiva

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

10–20

50–60

10–20

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

50–60

Animal Events

🐋 Humpback Whale Season

🐢 Sea Turtle Nesting

🐸 Chocó Poison Frog Season

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🐋 Humpback Whale Bay

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

618

🐒 Mammals

216

🦎 Reptiles

133

🐸 Amphibians

77

1044 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

44 Threatened 55 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

56%

📊

Coverage (216 species at ≥5% of 1044 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

21%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 3 amphibian, 1 reptile)

47% Global avg

65%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

144

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

21

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

23

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