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Trip Report: Jaguars of Brazil's Pantanal - June 2023
Trip Report: Jaguars of Brazil's Pantanal - June 2023
by Grant Ordelheide
We were ninety miles from the nearest town and deep within a complex series of rivers, slowly patrolling the vegetation-choked shores. Suddenly the radio cracked with a flurry of Portuguese and our slow-moving boat was kicked into fifth gear as we raced upstream. Another boat had spotted what we were looking for: a jaguar in the wilds of Brazil. When we arrived on scene a few boats were quietly anchored near a dense section of the riverbank. There he was, a young male Jaguar laying quietly in the shade looking back at the boats looking at him. This is why we had made the journey to the heart of the Pantanal.
The Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland, located in the middle of South America. A vital ecosystem for many animals, it also boasts one of the densest populations of jaguars anywhere in the world and is the best place to see and photograph them. This is where we met a group of eight intrepid photographers hoping for the chance of photographing the biggest cat in the Americas.
The Pantanal is largely undeveloped with miles and miles of empty wetlands. Cattle ranches dot the landscape and a lone road, the Transpantaneria highway, is the only way to penetrate this vast terrain. We began our trip bouncing along this long dirt road, stopping frequently for photography opportunities. I am always blown away by the sheer amount of biodiversity there is down here. Of course, jaguars are the stars of the show, but they are just a small part of a much larger ecosystem. It is the type of place where you can stop just about anywhere and find some bird or animal to photograph. The landscape is literally teeming with life.
Our first stop along the road was at the Rio Claro Lodge. This is a former ranch converted to meet the rise of eco-tourism. Located right on the Rio Claro, this location provides excellent boat-based safaris with lots of bird action. Over the course of our stay, we saw many species of birds along the shores and overhead. These shoots would provide a perfect warm-up for us to get our cameras dialed and ready for the Jaguars.
We continued down the Transpantaneria to its conclusion, the settlement of Porto Joffre. Porto Joffre is nothing more than a small collection of hotels and ranches on the Cuiabá River, but provides us the perfect jumping-off point to the “jaguar zone”. Here we would spend the next five full days on the water in search of the world’s third-largest cat.
After hearing that initial call, the excitement in our boats was palpable. After traveling all this way, seeing that first jaguar in the wild is always a special experience. Shutters were flying as we positioned ourselves in the right locations for photos. It felt good to get a few jaguar shots under our belts. I was reminded of a quote by the great photographer Galen Rowell, “If it looks good, shoot it. If it looks better, shoot it again.” We had our first sighting and photos, now we could try and find a situation with better conditions so we could “shoot it again.”
The rest of the week we settled into the rhythm of the river. We were up early and out late, always trying to maximize our time in the jaguar zone. Some days were slower, having to patrol the various tributaries looking for animals. On other days we would come around the first bend in the river to a jaguar sitting on the shore looking back at us in the early morning light. You never know how a safari is going to play out and that is part of what makes it so fun.
Of course, jaguars weren’t our only focus on the river. We also had lots of opportunities with various mammals, reptiles, and birds. Some of the highlights were watching giant river otters catch and devour fish right near our boats. The otters appear quickly, look around, and disappear below the surface before you know what happened. I call it Whac-A-Mole photography and it can be fun or frustrating depending on your point of view. Thankfully, the otters gave us lots of opportunities and we all walked away with some nice images.
Another highlight was getting a nice view of a yellow anaconda. This is one of the largest snakes in the world and it was pretty impressive to see. It isn’t necessarily uncommon to see them around the rivers of the Pantanal, but this was the first time I have seen one with its head facing our boats in nice light. Always a treat to grab one more nice image on the way back to dinner!
After a week of activity on the rivers, we had been very fortunate with multiple jaguar sightings each day. So for our last day, it was almost like we were playing with house money, hoping for one more incredible sighting. There were two adult brothers that we had kind of flirted with a few times throughout the week. We had seen one or both of them a few times, but always deep in the forest, in bad light, mostly facing away from us. We got the call that they had been spotted again, so we headed upriver to their territory. I think we were all a little taken aback by what we found. Here on the main river channel were both jaguars, laying right on the edge of the bank staring contently at the few boats already there. This was the sighting we had been hoping for!
We spent the next four hours anchored in the river photographing these cats. They took turns moving around, sleeping, and looking curiously in our direction. At one point I locked eyes with one for so long that it almost felt like we were the only ones out there. The sun began to set and the light was getting better and better. They lay next to each other and began grooming one another. To see two jaguars, in that location with sunset light was the cherry on top of an already excellent trip. It began to get dark and I knew our boat drivers were anxious to get going. Right on cue, as soon as the light faded, both cats got up and walked away for good. We couldn’t have planned it better if we tried. It was an amazing encounter and one we were all very grateful for. We had a great dinner that evening recounting all the amazing looks we got from these brothers.
This was really a great trip made possible by our enthusiastic guests who were really a pleasure to travel and photograph with. The Pantanal is a special place and one I would never tire of. To see jaguars in the wild is truly a remarkable experience and one that I cannot recommend enough to wildlife photographers out there.
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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
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
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All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2024
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.