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Trip Report: Jaguars of Brazil's Pantanal
Trip Report: Jaguars of Brazil's Pantanal
by Grant Ordelheide
Located almost exactly in the middle of South America, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland in the world. Encompassing more than 42 million acres, the Pantanal is home to an immense variety of wildlife and pristine landscape. While it reaches into Paraguay and Bolivia, most of the Pantanal lies within the border of Brazil. Every year, heavy rains come to the Pantanal, flooding nearly 80% of the landscape. As the dry season comes, the water recedes and reveals fish and other prey that attract a many different predators. These wetlands are also home to one of the densest and healthiest jaguar populations on earth, making it the best place to photograph them in the wild. It was for this reason I met a group of seven intrepid photographers in the heart of Brazil for our Backcountry Journeys photo expedition.
After a series of long flights, our group had descended on Cuiabá, the jumping off point for the Pantanal. Excitement was in the air as we prepped our camera gear and got ready to head into the heart of the Pantanal.
The Pantanal has one road, the Transpantaneira highway which goes 147km to the settlement of Porto Jofre and the Cuiabá River. It reminded me of the Hole-in-the-Rock road in Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante, a single access point to a vast and untouched landscape. The road is well maintained despite sections of washboard. Our local guide, Samuel, cheerily pointed out that these bumps were just a nice “Brazilian massage”.
We drove a bit down the road and made our first stop. When we jumped out of the van, I wasn’t exactly sure what we were looking at. There didn’t really seem to be much around. As I took a little more time to look out into the landscape, I realized it was actually teeming with life. A hawk was on a branch, caiman were tucked in the small pond of standing water, herons flew in the distance, the iconic Jabiru stork stepped out from behind a bush, a nearby tree was screaming the sounds of various bird calls. The longer I stood and looked, the more wildlife that presented itself. This would become a theme of the trip.
A few hours later we were at our first stop, the Rio Claro lodge. This compound, like many around, was once a working ranch now converted to lodge with the rise of eco tourism. We enjoyed a nice lunch and walked around looking for birds while our rooms were being prepared. We photographed several species before a huge blue-and-yellow macaw flew right overhead, landing on a branch right above the pool. How amazing is it that we could lounge by the pool and photograph this beautiful bird of paradise? Was it always going to be this easy?
We spent the next day and half going on river and overland safaris near the lodge. The river was wide, slow, and full of birds. Jaguars are rarely seen in this part of the Pantanal, so we knew this was our opportunity to really focus on photographing many of the approximate 450 different species of birds the Pantanal has to offer. We wasted no time in stacking shots of all kinds of birds from great black hawks to the american pgymy kingfisher.
Our journey continued down the Transpantaneira toward the end of the road and our accommodations in Porto Jofre. Our going was slow as we traveled in “safari style” stopping along the way to photograph any animals we saw. We shot mammals like marsh deer and capybaras and birds such as hyacinth macaws and great horned owls (and owlets!). When we made it to Porto Jofre, our excitement was high because we were finally here at the “jaguar zone”. We would spend then next five days going up and down the river and all its tributaries looking for jaguars. We had two boats for our group which was very important to give us room for all our gear, and to allow us to spread out and not get in each others images. We were ready and dawn couldn’t have come quick enough!
I always have a little bit of nervous energy on trips like this. What if our luck is bad and we don’t see what we are looking for? These cats are completely wild after all. The next morning, all those questions and nerves evaporated as we saw a group of boats along the shore not 45 seconds after entering the jaguar zone. There on a log hanging over the river was a beautiful female jaguar snoozing the morning away. Incredible.
This was also our first taste of the mayhem that comes with all the boats viewing the cats on the river. While at first it seemed like many boats jockeying for position would be a real hamper to our photography, we were amazed at how well it actually worked. Sure there were times a boat would drift in front of us, momentarily blocking our view, but for the most part the boats worked in harmony to continuously get everyone into position to photograph the jaguars. I still am amazed at how so many boats were able to maneuver around each other in tight spaces without constantly bumping in to each other. The drivers do an incredible job of working together to make sure everyone gets a view.
This was also our first taste of the mayhem that comes with all the boats viewing the cats on the river. While at first it seemed like many boats jockeying for position would be a real hamper to our photography, we were amazed at how well it actually worked. Sure there were times a boat would drift in front of us, momentarily blocking our view, but for the most part the boats worked in harmony to continuously get everyone into position to photograph the jaguars. I still am amazed at how so many boats were able to maneuver around each other in tight spaces without constantly bumping in to each other. The drivers do an incredible job of working together to make sure everyone gets a view.
With the first cat sleeping, we opted to head up the river and within a half mile we were with a pair of teenage cubs. After spending some time watching these two (who we we get to know well over the next five days), we circled back to the first cat who was now up and walking down the shore. One of the main challenges of photographing in an environment like this is dealing with the busy backgrounds. The shores are choked with vegetation and the leaves and branches can make it hard to get clean, simple imagery. As the jaguar worked her way down the shore, we set up on a few beaches down river, hoping to catch her out in the open. Thankfully she was on a mission to get her steps in that day. She walked along our beach, and continued to the next one, and the next one, and the next one. It was 45 minutes into the first day and we had already had multiple opportunities with a beautiful jaguar out in the open in nice soft light. We couldn’t have scripted a better start if we tried!
For the next four days we fell into the rhythm of photographing in the Pantanal. The days were hot, but spirits were high as we explore different tributaries of the river. Our photographic opportunities were near non-stop. We spent time shooting giant river otters, capybara, caiman, and a whole host of bird life. Jaguars, of course, were the star of the show. We saw and had the chance to photograph multiple jaguars every day. Often we would get the call on the radio (from another boat) that there had been a sighting. We would race up the river arriving just in time to see a cat emerge from the grasses.
We watched a particular mother and her two (nearly adult) cubs on multiple occasions. We saw them cross a river, patrol the beaches, hunt for caiman, and at one point all three posed on a log for nearly two hours in front of us. After a few days, you almost felt like you knew them. As if we were visiting some old friends each time they wandered to the shore. It was an amazing experience.
As our time in Porto Jofre came to a close, we had one last stretch of “Brazilian massage” on our way to our last lodge near the beginning of the road. Posada Piuval was a great hotel on beautiful grounds. As we sipped afternoon coffee, we watched as a large group of capybara drank from a nearby watering hole. A few greater rheas (our first sighting) wandered in the open landscape as other birds came and went. I think we were all satisfied with our jaguar sightings, but one animal had still eluded us thus far: the giant anteater. We were scheduled for a sunset/night jeep safari and it seemed possible that we might see one. We knew how rare the anteaters are, but our hopes were high. We had a great safari, seeing lots of birds in a unique landscape (totally different than the rivers near Porto Jofre). Sunset came and went without an anteater and I was beginning to think it may not happen. As we slowly made our way back to the lodge, the jeep stopped abruptly. I didn’t see anything, did our guide and driver? Sure enough, out in the distance, in completely darkness was a small strange looking creature scouring the ground for ants and termites. We had found one! We spent the next twenty minutes photographing the anteater as it displayed tremendous patience with us. When we finally went our separate ways, we couldn’t imagine a better way to wrap up this experience.
As we made our final journey back to Cuiabá to all begin our long respective journeys home, I couldn’t help but reflect on the experience. The Panatal is a rugged and remote location. To be able to visit it and have these interactions with an apex predator in the wild is something I will never forget. While the Pantanal is more remote than Yellowstone and may not have the reputation of Alaska or Africa, it is absolutely a world class destination for wildlife photographers. If you are passionate about animals and photography, I cannot recommend the Jaguars of the Pantanal enough!
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AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Grant Ordelheide is a Montana-based outdoor and adventure photographer. Growing up in the Colorado Rockies, in a family that explored and played in the outdoors at every opportunity, instilled in him a profound reverence for the landscape. Grant’s love of nature and wild places preceded his love of photography, which emerged as a natural extension and by-product of his adventures in the mountains as an avid backpacker, climber, and snowboarder.
Following his passion, Grant earned a Bachelor’s degree in photography with an emphasis in business from Pacific Union College in California’s Napa Valley. In 2016, Grant was a recipient of the Art Wolfe Next Generation Photographer Grant organized by Luminous Landscape. His work has won numerous awards, including one of the top honors in the U.S. Landscape Photographer of the Year contest. His photos have been published in National Geographic Traveler, Backpacker, Outside, Climbing, The New York Times, The Yosemite Journal, and many other print and online publications. Grant’s fine art prints hang in gallery, corporate, and private collections across the country.
For several years, Grant has shared his eye, expertise, and contagious passion for photographing the outdoors, teaching photography workshops throughout the country. Grant currently resides in Columbia Falls, Montana with his wife Alexis. His work can be viewed at grantordelheide.com
Following his passion, Grant earned a Bachelor’s degree in photography with an emphasis in business from Pacific Union College in California’s Napa Valley. In 2016, Grant was a recipient of the Art Wolfe Next Generation Photographer Grant organized by Luminous Landscape. His work has won numerous awards, including one of the top honors in the U.S. Landscape Photographer of the Year contest. His photos have been published in National Geographic Traveler, Backpacker, Outside, Climbing, The New York Times, The Yosemite Journal, and many other print and online publications. Grant’s fine art prints hang in gallery, corporate, and private collections across the country.
For several years, Grant has shared his eye, expertise, and contagious passion for photographing the outdoors, teaching photography workshops throughout the country. Grant currently resides in Columbia Falls, Montana with his wife Alexis. His work can be viewed at grantordelheide.com
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BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
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BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.