Today we had the privilege of being the first and only tour group or ship allowed to visit this unique dry forest habitat. Lindblad is the only expedition company with authorization to anchor in this bay and visit Santa Elena National Park. We hiked along a recently built trail and experienced some of the last remnants of mature tropical dry forests anywhere in Meso America.

After our morning walk in Santa Elena, we were fortunate to see nurse sharks and olive ridley sea turtles during our tour along the bay.

In the afternoon, we reached Junquillal Wildlife Refuge, where we saw spider monkeys as well as white-faced capuchins, bringing us to a total of three primate species so far. Some of our guests enjoyed beach time, while others took kayaks or standup paddleboards out on the water.