When photographers and naturalists think of the New World tropics, they usually imagine the Amazon rainforest. But nearby, just outside of the Amazon drainage is the largest freshwater wetland in the world, and one of the best places in the world for tropical wildlife photography.  The Pantanal, at over 75,000 square miles is an enormous mosaic of lakes, rivers, woodland, marshes, and grassland. It stretches across 3 countries (Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia). And this diversity of habitats results in an abundance of wildlife. Hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians call the Pantanal home. And one of those denizens, the Jaguar, will be of particular interest to our trip.

Independent Arrival in Cuiaba, Brazil. Group Dinner at the hotel. 

We will be picked up early by a vehicle and shuttled down the Transpantaneira highway, and on into the heart of the northern Pantanal. Along the way, we will make numerous stops for wildlife, and arrive at the Aymara Lodge in the afternoon. We will spend the afternoon and evening exploring and photographing the local wildlife on the lodge's grounds and nearby trails. 

We will stick around for a full day in this area, taking advantage of the rich wildlife with drives in open safari vehicles, and canoe and boat trips on the nearby waterways.  

We will continue our journey along the Transpantaneira to the frontier town of Porto Jofre where the road ends. Our lodge, the Hotel Porto Jofre, lies near the Meeting of the Waters State Park, which protects a large area of the Pantanal ecosystem. We will have 5 nights here with morning and evening boat trips to look for wildlife, and specifically Jaguars!

Four full days of pursuing and photographing jaguars, capybaras, caiman, birds, giant river otters, and other species of the Pantanal!

After a relaxed morning, we will load up and head back down the Transpantinera arriving at our lodge, the Pousada Piuval, in time for lunch. In the afternoon we will head out for some land-based explorations in a safari vehicle. 

With dry land species like Giant Anteater regular in this area, we will spend morning and evening game drives exploring the local area. Jaguars, Ocelots, Hyacinth Macaws, and many other species are observed regularly. 

After breakfast, we will make the two-hour drive to Cuiaba, arriving there in time for mid-day flights back to Sao Paulo and home, or off on independent adventures elsewhere in South America.