Colorful patterns are seen in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, a 380,000-acre (155,000-hectare) protected area in northeastern Brazil. The park contains miles of rolling sand dunes, the valleys of which fill with freshwater lagoons during the rainy season and are prevented from draining by impermeable rock beneath. With 43 miles (70 km) of Atlantic coastline, Lençóis Maranhenses is home to a range of species, including four that are endangered: the scarlet ibis, the neotropical otter, the oncilla and the West Indian manatee.
