Overview

This unique expedition combines Visionary Wild’s long history and extensive experience in organizing expeditions to the Pantanal with a not-to-be missed visit to the famous Iguazú Falls, bringing you an exceptional opportunity for wildlife and landscape photography.

The Brazilian Pantanal, home to the highest density of jaguars in the world, is the world’s largest continental wetland, a luxuriant forest-savannah mosaic in central-western Brazil. The jaguars here happen to be the most massive anywhere in their range from Arizona to Argentina, commonly weighing in at 300 pounds, about the size of a large African lioness. These are the largest cats in the New World. We commonly observe jaguars actively hunting (including young males hunting in coalition from time to time), courting and mating, mothers with cubs, swimming the river, and more. We always catch some peak action, which could include a successful hunt of a large caiman or capybara, males engaged in a territorial battle, a mother teaching a cub to hunt, jaguars surveying for prey while perched in trees over the water, leaping off high riverbanks, and other highlight moments. The rivers and channels provide easy access for our photo boat – a custom-built flat-bottomed aluminum boat with revolving centerline camera mounts and swiveling chairs – to locations frequented by the big cats in the dry season.

The Pantanal offers what can fairly be considered the greatest wildlife spectacle of Latin America. In addition to its jaguars, it harbors the world’s largest parrots (hyacinth macaw), the world’s largest snake (green anaconda), the world’s largest otter, and many other species in astonishingly high densities.

Master wildlife photographer Karine Aigner will lead this expedition and will provide attentive photo instruction and guidance throughout the itinerary to ensure participants are able to make the most of the incredible photographic opportunities the Pantanal has to offer. Our small group size ensures ample space to maneuver for photography from the boat, and a great deal of time one-on-one with Karine.

Our floating hotel for six nights of the trip is the spacious Jaguar Suites, offering the finest guest rooms in all the Pantanal, purpose-built to support serious photographers in comfort. Moored to the riverbank where the Piquiri and Cuiabá Rivers meet in the heart of the best jaguar action, these are the best-located accommodations serving the prime jaguar zone. This privileged location on the water permits us to spend an extra two hours per day with the cats, and to be on location at the best times of day for quality light, comfortable temperatures, and scenic beauty in the Pantanal, while other visitors to the area burn precious time commuting from the village of Porto Jofre.

After our time in the jaguar zone, the Pantanal wildlife extravaganza continues, as we relocate to Hotel Mato Grosso on the Pixaim River, directly adjacent to the Pantanal Wildlife Center at Fazenda Santa Teresa. Virtually guaranteed wildlife sightings here include ocelots, tapirs, giant otters, capuchin monkeys, numerous bird species including toco toucans, hyacinth macaws, rufescent tiger herons, anhingas, crested caracaras, various fishing hawks, stunning yellow-billed cardinals, an the extraordinary great potoo. Several wildlife observation towers include one located just 16 meters from an active nest of habituated Jabiru storks – perfect at first light in the morning – and a second one in gallery forest along the banks of the river. Boat excursions on the Pixaim River will position us perfectly to capture the action.

A photography trip to Brazil isn’t complete without a visit to Iguazú Falls, and after your wildlife intensive experience on our Jaguars of the Pantanal itinerary, it delivers an exciting change of scenery, climate, and creative focus. This jungle waterfall complex, located on the border between the Argentine Misiones province and the Brazilian State of Parana, is truly a wonder of the natural world. The word Iguazú, or “big water,” comes from the indigenous Guarani language, and it is truly a monster, with an average flow of 62,000 cubic feet of water per second tumbling as much as 269 feet in 275 distinct drops over a basaltic cliff face three times wider than Niagara. Dense Atlantic Forest and abundant wildlife surround the roaring falls, and while the Brazilian side features what may be considered the most classic view, the Argentine side offers more extensive access, more opportunity to get away from the crowds, and greater variety for creative photographers. You really have to do both to do it right.

This extension, led by Karine Aigner with support by an excellent local naturalist guide, will take you to both sides of the falls. After breakfast on September 21st, 2020, the group will be transferred by Sprinter van from Pantanal Wildlife Center on the Pixaim River to the airstrip at the town of Poconé, about a one-hour drive away. There, the group will board our private charter flight aboard a Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop aircraft to fly direct to Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport (IGU).

You will be greeted by your local guide and transferred to the grand Hotel das Cataratas, with spectacular views of the falls, and the only hotel located within Brazil’s Foz do Iguaçu National Park. After photography excursions led by Karine and Martín on the Brazilian side that afternoon and the next morning, the group will move on to La Cantera Lodge, positioned in the jungle near Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. From there, morning and afternoon excursions will take you into the Argentine Iguazú National Park, to make the most of its excellent system of trails accessing numerous vista points. Though the obvious star here is the landscape, wildlife including 400 bird species, black capuchin monkeys, coatis, giant anteaters and more are present as well. You may even hear a jaguar, though they tend to stay out of sight at Iguazú.