Jaguar Photography Expedition

Day 1 – Into the Pantanal

On the first day of the trip, we will meet you at noon at Cuiaba Airport or your nearby hotel for an exciting drive along the fabled Transpantaneira, deep into the Pantanal wetland reserve.
This 5 hour journey in a comfortable 4WD vehicle, will pass through the largest wetland in the world, arriving at Santa Rosa Lodge on the banks of the São Lourenço River in teh late afternoon.On route, you will see thousands of caiman, endless exotic birds, families of capybaras, marsh deer, and potentially even big cats. In the past we have seen jaguars, ocelots and even a jaguarundi!
Dinner will be served at the lodge on the bank of the river in Porto Jofre State Park; your home for the next four fabulous nights.

Days 2-4 – In the Heart of Jaguar Country

Each morning, after an early but sumptuous buffet breakfast at the lodge, you will board a shallow draft, motor boat piloted by our expert guide, to explore the tributaries of Meeting of the Waters State Park; one of the largest protected areas in the Pantanal. This section of the Pantanal has an incredibly high density of wildlife, including caiman and large groups of capybara; the favourite prey species of the local jaguar population. Jaguar encounters are pretty much a given, but this specific location offers the best chance to see jaguar predation events.
To maximize your time with the magnificent jaguars, we will stay out on river until sunset each day, returning to the comfort of Santa Rosa Lodge in time for dinner.

Days 5 – Ocelots!

After a final breakfast at Santa Rosa, we will move to Santa Tereza Lodge aka ‘South Wild. On route will take us back olong a section of the Transpantaneira where we will stop to see endemic blue hyacinth macaws and many other fantastic avian species.
Located on the banks of the Pixaim River, Santa Tereza Lodge offers very comfortable rooms, jungle walks for close encounters with caphuchins, howler monkeys, and other denizens of the Pantanal, and in the evening, opportunities to see the elusive but incredibly beautful ocelot; South America’s ‘ghost cat’. This spot is arguably the best place in the world to photograph ocelots in the wild.

Days 6 – Jungle walk and more Ocelots!

Today, you are invited to take a morning walk through the jungle with an experienced local guide to photograph the Pantanal’s diverse flora and fauna. Capuchins and howler monkeys are common, as well as many endemic bird species, Plus the dry forest itself is a sight to behold’ filled with exotic flora and strangler fig covered hardwoods.
After lunch back at the lodge, you will travel by boat up the Pixaim River to look for caiman, capibaras, otters, many hawks and aquatic birds, and (although they are less common on the is stretch of the river) perhaps even a jaguar!
After returning to shore in the late afternoon, you will have a second chance to encounter an ocelot, before a final dinner to celebrate a wonderful week filled with the wildlife of the Brazilian Pantanal.

Day y – the journey home

After a delicious final breakfast at Santa Teresa and perhaps an early morning walk around the lodge to photograph crab eating foxes and other crepuscular wildlife, we will journey back to Cuiaba through the northern section of the  the Transpantaneira. If we see something special, we’ll make time to stop and enjoy it, but we will endeavour to have you back in Cuiaba by noon.