Bear Grylls and his son took a dip in the Pacific Ocean on Friday afternoon as the action man continues working on his latest Netflix show.
The former SAS trooper and his eldest child Jesse, 20, were spotted sprinting across the black sand of a Costa Rican beach before diving into the sea at around 3pm local time.
Running topless and barefoot in gray swimming trunks, the star showed off his toned physique before jumping into the water and making the most of the sun ahead of an approaching storm.
Grylls, 49, is currently in the Central American country filming Bear Hunt with Holly Willoughby, 43. Both are staying in a luxury four-star hotel which can cost more than £1,000 per night.
The adventurer has been in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province for several weeks now and is becoming a familiar face to locals who tell MailOnline he is ‘very friendly’.
The reality TV competition show, which is expected to cost the streaming service £10 million, will see Grylls track down ten British celebrities in the jungle and test their survival skills. Willougby will present the show in her first major appearance since leaving This Morning last year.
Bear Grylls and his son took a dip in the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica yesterday afternoon
The former SAS trooper was seen sprinting along the beach towards the water before diving into the sea at around 3pm
Grylls was seen running topless and wearing gray swimming trunks when he plunged into the sea
Grylls has been in Costa Rica for several weeks, filming Bear Hunt with Holly Willoughby
The adventurer has become well known among locals who told MailOnline he was ‘very friendly’
It is not known for certain who will take part in the survival program which will air in 2025, but it is rumored that former Spice Girl Mel B, former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas will all take part.
Locals told MailOnline that the group had filmed in the area’s extensive mangroves and on the lush white-sand beaches of the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo.
The five-star hotel, which is surrounded by crystal clear waters and has villas costing more than £20,000 per night, is known for attracting celebrities from all over the world, including Beyonce and Willow Smith.
It is not known exactly how many of the ten rumored participants have landed in the country bordering Nicaragua and Panama in the past month.
Rugby legend Danny Cipriani, Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas and TV presenter Steph McGovern are all part of the proposed cast.
Ted Lasso star Kola Bokinnil, interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Saturday’s rapper Big Zuu and singer Una Healy are also expected to appear.
Disgraced former Wimbledon champion Becker, who is also rumored to be on the show, was spotted taking a dip on the same beach as Grylls earlier this week.
The former world tennis number one, 56, lounged on the hotel’s beach loungers next to his finacee Lilian, 33, who showed off her incredible physique in a black crop top and tight leggings.
Another rumored participant – Leomie Anderson – shared photos of herself at a Vogue party in London last night after returning from Costa Rica, where she was spotted earlier this month.
The gorgeous model shared photos on Instagram as she posed in a red bikini and tiny blue miniskirt on the same beach where Grylls and Becker were spotted.
The 31-year-old was shocked after finding a scorpion in the bathroom of her hotel room. The staff reportedly said it would take 15 minutes before they could rescue her, so she trapped the creepy crawly under a glass instead.
Grylls is staying in a luxury four-star hotel that offers rooms for as much as £1,000 a night
The Netflix show will see Grylls hunt for celebrity contestants, who will be eliminated from the program if and when he finds them
Security is tight, with reports that Netflix has spent £1 million on measures to protect Willoughby and Grylls for the adventure show, as staff members surround their hotel
Lottie Moss — an OnlyFans star and sister of Kate Moss — shared a video of herself dancing on TikTok from a hotel in the nation’s capital, San Jose, earlier this week.
It’s unclear if Mel B has been to Costa Rica yet as she is due to speak in Manchester last week, while Leomie shared snaps of herself at a Vogue party in London last night.
During the show, Grylls will hunt for the contestants and if he finds them, they will be removed from the program.
There was a notable security presence and a number of staff surrounded the hotel where the presenters are staying in Guanacaste province.
Last month it was reported that Netflix had spent £1million on security to protect Willougby for the adventure show due to air next year.
It was claimed that ex-special forces and ex-military weapons for hire were brought in to protect Holly from drug gangs and kidnappers in the Central American country, which has seen a huge increase in gang and drug violence in recent years.
The once peaceful country saw a record number of murders in 2023 and a 66 percent increase in murders between 2013 and 2023.
Bear Hunt marks Willoughby’s first major presenting gig since quitting This Morning last year, just months after her co-star Phillip Schofield left in May 2023.
Willoughby quit presenting an episode of This Morning on October 5 last year, just before it aired, after police informed her bosses of an alleged ‘kidnapping and murder’ plot.
She then stepped down as host of the ITV flagship daytime show on October 10 last year, saying on social media that it was an “honor to just be part of the story” but that she felt “I had to make this decision for myself.” must take and my family’.
The budget for the Costa Rican adventure show is reportedly £10 million, after deducting the protection budget.
“Netflix is investing huge amounts of money into creating a show that will rival ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, bringing in big names and choosing a tropical location,” a TV insider previously told The Sun newspaper.
“But the priority is to fully protect Holly and everyone in Costa Rica. That means hiring specialized teams of guards, many of whom will be ex-military and special forces experts.
‘They also need specialist vehicles, safe accommodation and a safe location for filming. That won’t be easy or cheap in a country that has a very luxurious tourist industry, combined with a dangerous underbelly.’
Grylls was spotted paragliding on a black sand beach last week, while his eldest son Jesse, who is a musician, took a solo skydive over the coast.
The action man was also spotted almost naked on the palm tree-filled beach as he enjoyed the £55 massage on the beach, with just a towel around his waist.
Bear Grylls is filming with Holly Willoughby, who hasn’t presented since Dancing on Ice in January
Since arriving in Costa Rica in late April, Grylls has been getting regular tans at the beach salon after discovering it while scouting locations earlier this year.
“The massage ladies love him and say he is a very friendly and down-to-earth guy,” a source told the newspaper. “Bear speaks a little Spanish and she speaks a little English, so that’s how they communicate.”
But earlier this week, those working in the area told MailOnline Bear had stopped his regular massages for fear of being photographed again.
Meanwhile, Willoughby, who has not presented since Dancing on Ice in January, appeared relaxed as she walked along the beach in sunglasses, trainers and a band T-shirt.
Earlier this week it was revealed that celebrities on the show had been warned about the dangers to wildlife that arose during the filming of the show.
Those appearing on the grueling adventure show were reportedly told to watch out for rabid vampire bats and deadly snakes as they began filming in the rainforest of Central American countries.
A medical team is also on call day and night to ensure the well-being of the stars on the show.
“The Bear Hunt is not for the faint of heart and all the celebrities who have signed up know they are going into the wilderness teeming with nasty animals,” said a source.
A television source teased that the upcoming show is “going to be a big hit” and that the streaming giant is “putting a lot of money into it” with a second series already planned.