Margrit Ulrich

Affectionately called "Machita" ("Blondie"), Margrit is one of our most cosmopolitan guides with a family that hailed from Switzerland, France, and Germany before settling in Costa Rica's capital city San José where she was born and raised. Hence she blends the well-organized, perfectionist, and detailed personality of a Swiss watch with the easiness and effervescent enthusiasm of a simple tropical girl.

After finishing high school, Margrit wondered what she would be good at, what she’d happily leave home for, and where she could find her place in nature. After spending over a year working with mentally disabled adults in Stuttgart, Germany, Margrit returned to Costa Rica in 1998. Soon after she was hired by a nature tour company for her multilingual skills, and after her first day was inspired to become a naturalist guide. She quickly fell in love with the opportunity to translate for her guests the magically intermingled web of tropical ecosystems. Motivated with renewed passion, she returned to school and majored in management of natural resources/tropical ecology.

In 2000 she did her very first Lindblad trip and it was love at first sight. Since then she has been working different itineraries with the company through Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Working on board offered another challenge: to learn about the deep blue ocean and everything it comprises. This began a new passion about fish, shells, and marine habitats, which she enriched by taking open courses at Costa Rica University.

An international certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer, who also participates in triathlons and adventure races, Margrit combines her love of nature and wellness into a holistic expedition philosophy. “I am a very blessed soul, I love what I do for living and I do what I love. I am happy making people feel good and enjoy themselves, no matter if it is through a muddy trail under the lush rain forest or in a Pilates class. They may forget what I say, but they will never forget how I made them feel.