Notable contestants from this season include former NASA astronaut Dan Barry and former Miss Texas Teen USA Misty Giles.

Casaya generally proved the stronger tribe, and opted to send Terry from La Mina over to Exile Island multiple times, which gave him the opportunity to discover the hidden immunity idol.

With Viveros, Casaya and La Mina victorious, the losing tribe, Bayoneta, had to pick one of their own to stay on Exile, who would return in time for the next immunity challenge.

Bayoneta and Viveros were disbanded, with all remaining contestants spread across the new Casaya and La Mina tribes of seven people each through a schoolyard pick, with Danielle and Terry as captains.

The new La Mina tribe consisted of Austin, Dan, Misty, Nick, Ruth Marie, Sally, and Terry.

Despite quickly losing their newly acquired spear in deep water, La Mina won the immunity challenge as well.

Before Tribal Council, Shane considered quitting because of nicotine withdrawal but his newly formed alliance of Aras, Courtney, and Danielle convinced him to get over it.

Before the Reward Challenge, Bruce, Aras and Shane returned from foraging for food to find the rest of their tribe had let the fire go out.

After a lesson about responsibility around the campsite, they pulled together and won the Reward Challenge for bathroom and supplies, and chose to exile Terry, because they believed him to be his tribe’s leader.

At Exile Island, Terry discovered the mysterious hidden immunity idol (a makeshift shrunken head concealed inside a bottle), which he kept as a secret from his teammates after his return.

Dan pulled in Ruth Marie as a fifth person in his alliance, but after losing another immunity challenge, Sally convinced the La Mina men that she was a more valuable player.

Bruce's "Zen Garden" caused friction in Casaya and Aras felt he should instead have been helping with the daily camp chores.

Meanwhile, as La Mina ate the beans that they chose from the Reward Challenge, Austin and Nick faced the gastrointestinal consequences.

After the immunity challenge, Shane told Bobby that Bruce was the next to go, as his tribe feared he would flip over to La Mina's alliance come time of the merge.

He assured Bobby he wasn't to go by swearing on his son's name; however, Cirie, Courtney and Danielle overpowered Shane and told him they felt Bruce was more trustworthy and less problematic.

At La Mina's camp, while Austin and the other men searched for edible creatures in the water, Dan spoke to Nick about his space flights at NASA.

In a combined reward and immunity challenge, Casaya, despite falling back early, won a barbecue and a trip to a local village, as well as the right to exile someone from La Mina.

Because the losing tribe would be attending Tribal Council, Sally, the only woman left in La Mina was exiled and was granted Immunity and unable to vote.

Cirie lasted only 3 minutes and after a point all the Casaya members voluntarily jumped off, leaving Terry, Austin and Nick to fight for immunity.

At the reward challenge, the team of Bruce, Courtney, Sally, and Terry won a videos from home, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and ice-cold milk.

Back at the camp, a paranoid Shane told registered nurse Cirie that he was "having problems" with his testicles (and stripped naked in the process, save his shirt).

Bruce, Cirie, Courtney, Danielle, and Shane decided to feast, whereas Aras, Sally, and Terry chose to participate.

By correctly guessing what the majority of the tribe had chosen for their answers, Cirie won the challenge and sent Terry to Exile Island, taking Aras and Danielle to share her reward.

Back at the camp, Courtney was bitter because of some of the opinions expressed in the challenge and Shane was upset because he hadn't been chosen by Cirie for the reward.

The other players continued to worry about Shane's strange behavior: he had found a piece of wood and was pretending it was his BlackBerry and he was sending messages to people back home.

Terry narrowly claimed victory over Aras and choose himself and his wife, along with Shane and his son, Boston, to spend the night at a villa.

During their trip, Aras and Cirie made a pact for the Final 2; while Danielle and Terry also conspired for their fate in the game during their time on exile.

The three placed the extinguished torches of the thirteen eliminated Survivors on the large skull-shaped shelter in the center of the island and burned it in the process.

While walking along the beach rocks, Aras slipped and sliced open his hand and back, requiring a total of eight stitches.

However, aside from Terry Deitz, the members of the La Mina tribe was criticized for being perceived as less entertaining compared to their Casaya counterparts.