BRAZIL’S PANTANAL: JAGUARS AND SO MUCH MORE – South America’s best wildlife photography destination

BRAZIL JAGUAR & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS WITH WILD IMAGES

Brazil’s remarkable Pantanal is simply one of the natural wonders of the world. It is a vast watery wilderness harbouring one of the greatest wildlife concentrations on the planet. In fact we think it is not just the best place for wildlife in Brazil but also one of the world’s best wildlife photography tour destinations in terms of number and quality of opportunities and subjects. We will visit the northern part of this huge expanse of wetlands, which is nowadays known as The place to photograph the magnificent Jaguar, and we will have six days of boat trips on the Rio Cuiabá and its tributaries devoted to finding them.

A very impressive supporting cast of other photogenic wildlife in this part of Brazil includes the impressive Giant Otter, the extraordinary Giant Anteater and an enormous number of caimans. Around 1000 bird species have been recorded in the Pantanal, far too many to mention here, but some of the most obvio ones that we photographers want to capture include the very attractive and sought-after Hyacinth Macaw, the world’s biggest parrot, and the Toco Toucan, the world’s biggest toucan. The impressive Jabiru, the world’s biggest stork, feeds alongside a throng of herons, storksus, egrets, ibises and other waterbirds. In fact the sheer number of wildlife photography subjects in this corner of Brazil is truly mind-boggling.

Called ‘Terra de Ninguem’ (No Man’s Land) by the Brazilians, the Pantanal is a vast alluvial plain, half the size of France, situated at only 100 metres (330ft) above sea-level and inhabited by just a few thousand people. Receiving the run-off from the Planalto Highlands of southwestern Brazil, this immense and seasonally watery world is essentially a huge inland river delta, which has been the subject of some awe-inspiring wildlife films.

The main attraction of the Pantanal for the wildlife photographer is the near certainty of multiple encounters with the most powerful cat in the New World, the fabled Jaguar. Although this magnificent animal is still quite widespread in Central and South America, occurring from northern Mexico south to central Argentina (including most of Brazil), it is only rarely seen elsewhere in its range and is more commonly detected by camera traps. Jaguars are usually associated with large tracts of dense rainforest, but it is now known that they feel equally at home in more open habitats, with a very marked preference for the immediate vicinity of watercourses. Hunting of Jaguars ceased a long time ago in the Pantanal of Brazil, and as a direct result these magnificent creatures have gradually become less afraid of people, sop much so in recent years that a boatload of wildlife photographers seem to faze few of them! Needless to say, this increasing unconcern for visitors is making for some truly wonderful photography.

The Pantanal holds the highest density of this enigmatic creature and is the world’s foremost locale for viewing and photographing Jaguars. The most reliable way of seeing this otherwise elusive cat is to take boat trips on the rivers, as they like to loaf during the day at the edge of a river or on sandbanks. As we patrol the waterways we will be keeping a constant lookout for this spotted beauty, which is regularly active by day here, in contrast to its more crepuscular and nocturnal habits elsewhere. The largest individuals of the Jaguar live here in the southern Mato Grosso of Brazil, where average adults usually weigh twice as much as their relatives in Central America at up to 140 kilograms (300 pounds)! We stand a high chance of encountering this cold-eyed, exquisite marvel on most of our outings and we may well get some great photography encounters.

Although the Jaguar dominates the scene in the Pantanal as the keystone predator, they would not be here were there not a healthy population of prey animals. Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, are a favourite prey of the big cat and occur all over the Pantanal, leading a semi-aquatic life. Many Pantanal Jaguars also prey on caimans, their ultra powerful jaws enabling them to bite through the crocodiles’ skulls!

We should also see the awesome Giant Otter. Several family parties inhabit the narrower stretches of the rivers and, sometimes, inquisitive individuals come to inspect the boat and can then be photographed at minimal range.

Other mammals that we have a fairly good chance of encountering during our exploration of the Pantanal include Crab-eating Fox, South American Coati, Black-striped Tufted Capuchin, Black Howler Monkey, the curious-looking Brazilian Tapir, and Marsh Deer.

We will also be stunned by the masses of crocodilians here. It is estimated that as many as 10 million Yacare Caimans inhabit the waters of the Pantanal – the largest single concentration of crocodilians in the world! The sheer quantity of these creatures in some parts of the Pantanal makes for some interesting photography.

As well as our comprehensive series of boat trips on the Rio Cuiabá in search of the wonderful Jaguar and other wildlife, we will spend some time exploring other excellent sites for wildlife photography along the famous Transpantaneira, a dirt road that runs from near Cuiabá southwards towards the border area between Brazil and Bolivia. The road has more than a hundred bridges and runs through a variety of habitats including pastures, palm groves, gallery woodland, scrubby growth, meandering rivers, ponds and extensive flooded marshes.

Photographic opportunities abound along the Transpantaneira. Here we can drive within metres of the gigantic nests of the huge and grotesque Jabiru stork, which seem to balance precariously on the crowns of the scattered trees. The weird haunting cries of Southern Screamers are a common early morning sound, as numerous herons, egrets and ibises fly in to throng the marshes. Pairs of reclusive Plumbeous Ibises feed in the shallows, away from the more boisterous species.

Raptors are very well represented in the Pantanal and subjects for good images may include Black and Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, Snail Kites, Crane, Savanna, Black-collared, Roadside and Short-tailed Hawks and Southern Caracara (or Southern Crested-Caracara).

Away from the water, a different set of birdlife abounds in the scattered patches of gallery forest and in the distinctive savanna habitat, called cerrado, which is so characteristic of this part of Brazil. These palm-rich forests are the stronghold of the world’s largest parrot, the spectacular Hyacinth Macaw. We will watch these huge birds flapping lazily towards their roosting trees, their rich purplish-blue feathers glowing in the last rays of the setting sun. The world population of this fantastic creature, which surely epitomizes the wildness and uniqueness of the Pantanal, is now sadly reduced to just a few thousand birds (most of which are to be found in Brazil), owing to illegal trapping for the cagebird trade. In this area, however, the birds are better protected and often allow a close approach for some excellent photography.

The Hotel Pantanal Norte versus the Flotel

We often see Pantanal wildlife photography tour operators extolling the virtues of the Flotel, which is a bit upriver from Puerto Jofre town, over staying in Puerto Jofre itself. Well, we have nothing against the Flotel, but we stay at the best hotel in town, the Hotel Pantanal Norte, as a conscious decision, because we think it offers a better all-round experience for our guests.

In the first place we use a very fast and powerful boat for our tours, so the Flotel area is only about 25 minutes upriver for us. We can easily go back to our hotel for lunch and a midday break in between photographing Jaguars and other wildlife, and we always do.

The reality is that there are fun aspects to staying on a houseboat, but it inevitably lacks the spacious grounds and large rooms of the Hotel Pantanal Norte, which in our view is a higher quality accommodation and well worth the minor time penalty involved. The hotel grounds can be good for wildlife photography (we often see Hyacinth Macaws there, not to mention ibises and other waterbirds at very close range), so it is a nice place to spend some time. In the evening, mosquitoes are not an issue at the hotel although they can be upriver.

Naturally we don’t miss any of the prime times of day (early and late) in the best Jaguar habitats, and the only ‘toll’ for staying at a nice hotel is a bit of extra journey time.

Accommodation & Road Transport

The hotels/lodges used during our Pantanal wildlife photography tour are of good standard throughout. Road transport is by air-conditioned minibus and roads in this part of Brazil are mostly good.

Walking

The walking effort in Brazil’s Pantanal is very easy throughout.

Climate

Generally warm or hot, dry and sunny at this season in the Pantanal of Brazil. Overcast weather is quite regular, however, and there may be some rain. The humidity is moderate.

Photographic Equipment

During our Brazil’s Pantanal wildlife photography tours, the most used telephoto lens focal lengths with a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless are usually between 300-600 mm (sometimes even longer is useful). Telephotos of 200 mm or less tend to be of limited use on this tour.

The Pantanal has few panoramic views and so ultra-wide-angle is only occasionally useful. Of more use is to cover the range 24-70/100 mm.

There will be some opportunities to use a macro lens, if you have one.

All the focal lengths mentioned above relate to full frame cameras. Please adjust as appropriate for crop sensor and micro four thirds cameras.

You can also get wonderful results throughout this Pantanal wildlife photography tour, with many subjects, with a high quality ‘bridge’ camera with an 18-20x or higher optical zoom and a wide-angle setting which is equivalent to 24mm.

A tripod cannot be effectively used on the boats (there is insufficient space), but a monopod can be helpful if you use a heavy telephoto.

If you have questions about what equipment you ought to bring, please contact us.

RIO DE JANEIRO PHOTOGRAPHY STOPOVERS

We can easily arrange stopovers in ‘Rio’, one of the world’s truly iconic cities, with assisted transfers and expert local guides to take care of you while you admire some of Brazil’s most iconic landmarks such as Sugar Loaf Mountain, the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Botanical Gardens as well as the famous beaches of Ipanema and Copocabana. A couple of hours drive to the north of Rio, the gorgeous and endangered Golden Lion Tamarin monkey can be found easily in private nature reserves, surely one of the world’s most beautiful primates. Please contact our office for more information.

VIEW OUR GUESTS’ PHOTOS

2023 has been a wonderful year for me with the cats. Leopards, tigers and lions. The icing on the cake was the prolonged close encounter I had with a snow leopard in Ladakh, India, when I was desperately searching for one along with Mike Watson and Wild Images. The thrill of being with this ghost of the Himalayas at less than 20 meters distance will be etched forever in my psyche! So when I was looking up this Wild Images tour to the Pantanal to be with the jaguars, I convinced myself that the stars were wonderfully aligned for me + Mike Watson + Wild Images + cats + the year 2023 for me to get lucky once again!! This was my first trip to mainland South America and boy, was I glad I made the decision to go there! It was a novel experience for me to be in a boat all the time as we explored the Pantanal looking for the famed cat and taking some amazing pics. The jaguar sightings were phenomenal. In the five-and-a-half days that I was there, we were lucky to have innumerable sightings of the jaguar. 19? 20? or was it 22? It was all possible due to the expert handling of the boat by Alex the boatman, sharp eyes of Marlon Mendez the guide under the astute leadership of Mike Watson. The jaguar literally catwalked for us on the ramps of the Pantanal ! And what poses!! Drinking water, swimming, stalking, eating grass, lazing around, targeting a caiman, leaping for the caiman kill, carrying the caiman up a steep river bank, hunting a capybara, beach walk, yawning, shrugging and spraying water off its fur………….. possibly the only thing they did not do for us was dancing to some rhythm and introducing us to their young ones. Add to this experience some wonderful stay facilities with exquisite, personalized vegetarian food and we saw that perfection just got better. I would especially thank Mike for letting me take a detour on the last day and Bianca for being my guide for that day for some fantastic encounters with the Giant Anteaters, armadillo, red-legged seriema and other birds. This tour was one experience that might be tough to beat but I am sure Wild Images and Mike are up to the challenge! To see a gallery of KC’s beautiful images please click here.