Overview

THIS IS THE FINEST JAGUAR PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE, BAR NONE.

EXCELLENCE IS IN THE DETAILS.

The Brazilian Pantanal, the world’s largest continental wetland, is a luxuriant forest-savannah-wetland mosaic in central-western Brazil that is home to the highest density of jaguars in the world. Jaguars are the largest cat in the Americas, and the Pantanal cats are the most massive anywhere in their range, commonly weighing between 300 and 350 pounds, the size of an African lioness. Here, we observe a range of jaguar behaviors, including active hunting, courtship and mating, mothers with cubs, swimming the river, young males hunting in coalition, and more. Peak action can include successful hunts of caiman and capybaras, males in a territorial battle, jaguars surveying the landscape from tree trunks leaning over the water, leaping off branches or high banks into the river, and other highlights. The rivers and channels provide easy access for our customized photo boat – a stable state-of-the-art aluminum speedboat with revolving centerline camera mounts, which Visionary Wild helped design – to locations frequented by the big cats in the dry season.

The Pantanal is also simply the greatest wildlife spectacle of Latin America. In addition to the jaguars, it harbors the world’s largest parrots (the hyacinth macaw), the world’s largest snake (green anaconda), the world’s largest otter, and many other species in astonishingly high densities.

Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom have been visiting the Pantanal for years, and are excited to return to lead Visionary Wild’s 12th jaguar expedition in the Pantanal, with an itinerary custom-tailored by Frans and Chris. They will provide attentive photo instruction and guidance throughout the itinerary. The small group size ensures ample space to maneuver for photography from our special boat and safari vehicles, and plenty of time for one-on-one instruction and feedback on your images.

After gathering for a welcome dinner with Frans, Chris, and our local naturalist guide, and an overnight at the excellent Hotel Deville in the gateway city of Cuiabá, Brazil, your group will be picked up by our driver in an air-conditioned and spacious Mercedes Sprinter van to drive down the renowned Transpantaneira Highway to  Pouso Alegre Lodge, where its relatively dry “Cerrado” forest and watering holes provide superb opportunities to photograph rhino-like tapirs, giant anteaters, crab-eating foxes, large bands of coatis (of the raccoon family), tayra (a powerful weasel), capuchin monkeys, and various bird species, including toco toucans, great currasows, chestnut-eared araçaris, and much more. We will stay at Pouso Alegre for one night to get our wildlife technique and gear dialed in with Frans’s assistance. On the morning of our second day, following our game drive and breakfast, we will continue south to the “Jaguar Zone,” an expansive interconnected inland river delta. At the road’s end, a speedboat will whisk us half an hour up the Rio São Lourenço to the confluence with the Rio Piquiri, where we will spend seven nights at our floating Jaguar Suites lodge, consisting of two hotel barges: the original Jaguar Flotel which houses the upstairs restaurant and lecture room, and the newer, more spacious two-level Jaguar Suites (the latter are our accommodation). These are moored together, forming a single unified facility. Located in the heart of the best jaguar action, when compared with the longer commutes by boat from other area accommodations, this privileged location on the water permits us to spend an extra two hours per day with the big cats, and to be quickly on location at the best times of day for quality light, comfortable temperatures, and scenic beauty in the Pantanal.

After our final sunrise jaguar excursion, we will jump into the speedboat to return to Porto Jofre and our van, which will drive us directly to the airport in Cuiabá to catch outbound flights.