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Costa Rica · Puntarenas

M3.6 Earthquake near Bahía Ballena, Puntarenas (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-05-08 04:45:13 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.6 earthquake was recorded near Bahía Ballena, Puntarenas (Costa Rica) on May 8, 2026 at 04:45 UTC. With a focal depth of about 35 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Costa Rica: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 4 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.2.

Details

ID
42bd3081ac189f3fd735accb8c0aaee87520abd0
Magnitude
M3.6
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-08 04:45:13 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas
City
Bahía Ballena
County
Osa
Source
emsc
Coordinates
9.17140, -83.76450
Temperature
27.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 km
35 km — deeper than the regional average (25.8 km)
Regional average: 25.8 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Felt reports

1felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: May 8, 2026, 4:48 AM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Volcanoes nearby

  • Irazu
    Distance: 90 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 95 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 113 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas Activity reported
    Distance: 125 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Baru
    Distance: 140 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'474 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Panama
  • Platanar
    Distance: 142 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica

Puntarenas

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 73 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Costa Rica

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Costa Rica

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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