G) Brazil: Land of the Jaguar - Brazil

Pantanal, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 2001, is the biggest freshwater wetland in the world. 80% of Pantanal is situated in the west part of Brazil and the rest is divided between Bolivia and Paraguay. On this tour you will be able to experience the best of South American wildlife including great opportunities to see and photograph the magnificent Jaguar! On our 2012 tour we enjoyed six excellent sightings of this beautiful Big Cat all of which could be easily photographed. As well as a mother and cub we saw males moving along the bank very near our boat, and others swimming and eating. There are many other animals such as Giant River Otter, Tapir, Caiman, Ocelot, monkeys, hundreds of beautiful birds including Hyacinth Macaw, in this beautiful wilderness.

Pantanal is home to more than 600 species of birds, 102 species of mammals, 264 species of fish, 177 species of reptiles and more than 3,500 species of plants. It is perhaps the best area in South America to see their largest cat - the enigmatic Jaguar - and the itinerary has been carefully planned to maximise our opportunities of seeing this beautiful feline. Although the Jaguar may be viewed as one of the highlights of the tour, there are many other exciting mammals which we expect to see including Brazilian Tapir, Capybara, Marsh Deer, the fantastic Giant Anteater, Black-howler Monkey, Pantanal Marmoset, South American Coati, Crab-eating Fox and the wonderful Giant River Otter.

Amongst the huge variety of bird species that we hope to see and photograph will be the beautiful and rare Hyacinth Macaw, Toco Toucan, Greater Rhea, Black Skimmer, many raptors including Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kite, Laughing Falcon, Great Black Hawk, and several different species of kingfishers, herons, storks and hummingbirds. The number of birds is astounding  and it is not unusual to be under flocks of thousands of birds such as parrots, storks and many other species.

We fly to São Paulo in Brazil and then transfer to Cuiabá. Our adventure begins as soon as we leave the airport and join the Transpantaneira Road that stretches for 150km and which will lead us on our exploration of the northern Pantanal for the next ten days. During our drive to our first hotel near the Pixaim River we will stop frequently to familiarise ourselves with the local flora and fauna. The following day we fully explore this area by boat and by foot with the Giant River Otter being the highlight for many. We will also expect to see Caiman, monkeys and many different species of birds including kingfishers.

We move on to Porto Jofre for the next five nights which will provide our best opportunities for seeing and photographing Jaguars and other mammals including the Brazilian Tapir. We will spend much of the time exploring the waterways by boat and, after dinner each evening, there may be the opportunity for a night drive in search of nocturnal species.

Finally we move on to Araras Eco Lodge for three nights which provides an excellent opportunity, using walkways and towers, to photograph forest species of birds and primates. This area is also very good for seeing Giant Anteaters, Brazilian Tapir and Ocelot.

Peter Smart from Wild Arena and a specialised local naturalist will accompany you throughout the tour. Peter is a wildlife photographer, and has escorted around 80 tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Indonesia, Brazil, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and the Arctic. He has also taught at many hundreds of Wild Arena’s photographic workshops at numerous locations around the UK. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce clients to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, experience, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!

The northern Pantanal is a unique, huge and largely unexplored wetland with a great variety of wildlife to see and photograph including Giant River Otter, Hyacinth Macaw and, of course, the enigmatic Jaguar. View our exciting itinerary overleaf or visit our website to see reports from past trips and more amazing images from the area.

You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places are strictly limited on this unique tour to Brazil: Land of the Jaguar.

Flights:

Estimated price per person is without international flights. Estimated cost of economy class international flights and taxes of £1345 per person gives an estimated total price of £5810 at prevailing exchange rates at the time of preparing this tour information.