(Sternula antillarum browni)

You may have noticed the terns hovering over our oceans and estuaries and gracefully dipping and diving. At first glance they look like seagulls, but they’re more streamlined and agile with pointed wings and often with black windswept caps. The smallest of these terns, the California least tern, is an endangered species that nests on the sand at the end of the spit near the estuary.

(Cicindela latesignata)

If you’re walking down the beach on the spit, in areas not heavily trafficked, you may see tiny creatures that you mistake for flies, flying out from in front of you and then landing a short distance away. If you’re able look closely, as they often run fast or fly short distances away, you may find that they’re actually pretty trippy looking beetles with interesting patterns on their backs. This is a rare species called the Western Beach Tiger Beetle, that only occurs on relatively undisturbed beaches in Southern California and Baja.

(Dudleya campanulata)

Did you know there are plant species that occur on the Punta Banda peninsula and nowhere else in the world? The Punta Banda live forever is a remarkable perennial that graces the rocky bluffs of the Punta Banda peninsula.

(Balaenoptera musculus)

Blue whales, the largest animals to have ever lived on Earth, can sometimes be seen off the coast of Punta Banda, quite close to shore. Learn more about these magnificant creatures.