Pantanal 2019 & 2020

[wilddog]

Sorry about this @jeremiewe seem to have a problem on ST at the moment which is being investigated by @Game Wardenand the tech people. 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by wilddog

[Game Warden]

Please post any problems in the following topic.

 

And tag me.

 

Thank you.

 

Matt

[jeremie]

perfect @wilddog& @Game Warden. I have just erased all the content of the posts. We will need to delete the new edited posts on page 1 of thris thread.

[jeremie]

Here are the last pictures from the outsdanding Fazenda Baia das Pedras.

We are very grateful to Rita & Dóio, Vicente, Amanda and all the family, and our guide Donizete. They are very welcoming and mad us a perfect stay!

 

In a nutshell, Baia das Pedras (http://www.baiadaspedras.com.br/) is a great place to combine with Barranco Alto and if more time is available, other places in Mato Groso do Sul I still do not know such as Aguape, Burraco das Araras, Refugio da Ilha, Caiman.

I would value Baia das Pedras very high, it's location in the middle of Nhecolandia is perfect, with hundreds of "baias" or lakes that shape this region of Southern Pantanal, and the famous Vazante do Castelo.

 

It is probably one of the best spot to sight tayra, and a very reliable place for tapirs and giant ant eaters. it is very easy to spot the shame marsh deers and pampa deers are very common there, contrary to Northern Pantanal for instance.

The area around the farm is excellent for birds, with 3 different species of macaws nesting or resting just inside or nearby the house. You can expect to have very good sightings of capybaras and caimans in ideal conditions for photography in the Vazante. White-lipped pecaries are very common, but in lower numbers than in Barranco Alto. They are very shame too.

The most valuable thing with the place is probably the very high diversity and richness of animals. If ocelots and pumas are definitely present - we did see many tracks of both cat species - and pictures are available on the excellent Ipad in the living room, jaguars are not resident in the area, probably because they prefer to live along the rivers, which are located far from the area (Taquiri, Rio Negro, Aquidauana, Miranda or Salobra).

We were very lucky to see the anaconda family together, and probably more to spot this maned wolf. Don't expect to have even small chances to see these animals, we were definitely very lucky.

 

We eventually recommend you to try to fit your dates with the presence of the scientist from the Projeto Tatu Canastra:

https://www.instagram.com/projetotatucanastra/?hl=es-la

https://www.giantarmadillo.org/projetotatucanastra

 

it is probably the only way to a fair chance to see this nocturnal prehistoric mammal. Giant armadillos are sometimes seen (once a year) in Pouso Alegre in Northern Pantanal, and locals do see them rarely while driving on the inland roads inside Pantanal by night.

Edited November 15, 2020 by jeremie

[jeremie]

[Botswanadreams]

@jeremie beautiful images like always. Thank you very much for sheering your experiences from the Southern Pantanal with us. Both Baia das Pedras and Barranco Alto brings back nice memories that I can use right now in this difficult time. 

[jeremie]

The drive between Baia das Pedras and Barranco Alto is about 3 hours long across the magic Nhecolandia, in the middle of baias, dry forests and farmlands.

There are plenty of animals along the road. We saw a couple of marsh deers, dozens of pampa deers, brocket deersand american rheas, and of course, hundreds of capibras and caimans. You will definitely see flocks of macaws, a good number of red-legged siriemas and waterfowls in large numbers

 

We expected to have a chance to see tapir or giant anteater on the way, but didn't. It was probably too hot for anteaters. We instead saw many white-lipped pecaries in the last half hours, not far from Rio Negro and Barranco Alto.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by jeremie

[xyz99]

Great photos, as always! I was **this** close to get there in 2019, but the trip never happened. Hopefully someday soon, your photos are just a great incentive.

[jeremie]

On 11/15/2020 at 3:21 PM, Botswanadreams said:

@jeremie beautiful images like always. Thank you very much for sheering your experiences from the Southern Pantanal with us. Both Baia das Pedras and Barranco Alto brings back nice memories that I can use right now in this difficult time. 

 

I have to say that it was your TR convinced us to discover Baia das Pedras and go back to Barranco Alto!

Here is the fabulous TR with much more pictures than my own TR, for those who still have doubts to go there!

https://www.botswanadreams.de/reisen-weltweit/brasilien-2018/

[jeremie]

1 hour ago, xyz99 said:

Great photos, as always! I was **this** close to get there in 2019, but the trip never happened. Hopefully someday soon, your photos are just a great incentive.

 

Maybe in a couple of years though!

[jeremie]

I have now finished with Baia das Pedras and will speak about Barranco Alto, and later on, Porto Jofré far from the crowds, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemia.

[jeremie]

Fazenda Barranco Alto in one single picture:

 

 

 

 

 

[jeremie]

Porto Jofré in 1 single picture:

 

[gatoratlarge]

Gorgeous photos @jeremie!!! Really stunning photography---getting down on ground level makes a difference.  Thanks for sharing---the Pantanal is just beautiful!

[jeremie]

Let's start with Barranco Alto to finish 2019, before starting with our outstanding journey at Porto Jofré in September 2020 in Porto Jofré without the crowds of tourists.

 

I would say that Fazenda Barranco Alto is probably located in the best area of Nhecolandia. It's a true gem with thousands of baias and the Rio Negro river.

A drone viewpoint or a flight from/to Barranco Alto is a must to fully appreciate the beauty of the region. I would say that the best might be during the blooming of Ipe trees covered of yellow, white and pinks colors. This usually happens in August or early September, but is clearly varies according to climate. In 2015, the Ipe trees were magnificent in late September. But in 2019, the flowers were almost all gone.

 

 

[jeremie]

I would say that the activity I prefer at FBA is going on the river, either kayaking or going by boat. This gives very intimate encounters with wildlife along the Rio Negro, at a slow pace. With chance you might see a jaguar, but it is clearly not guaranteed. You are nonetheless likely to see dozens of capybaras and caimans, bare-faced currasow, white-lipped pecaries, skimmers and different species of terns.

 

Boat is good to follow mammals such as otters in the current and going a bit farer.

Kayaking is very good if you want to have close, quiet approaches.

One morning we left before sunset and start paddling to a small beach not to far from the farm to take breakfast. It was a fantastic idea, hearing all the birds getting up and paddling with otters everywhere...

 

I will start with the first picture, which was probably the best sighting we had: a dying, ill otter got caught by a big jacare caiman. We saw the otter moving and minutes later it was dead inside the mouth of the opportunist reptile. It was really sad, but it's nature... We even thought it might be a small otter we stayed with for half an hour the day before and were really worried that this handsome animal got injured in a giant otter fight, and fell to its injuries i nthe mouth of the caiman. Fortunately it wasn't the same animal, but it might have been one of its juveniles.

 

 

 

 

[jeremie]

You might prefer series of dawn pictures at very low speed. Here are capybaras and one bare-faced currasow.

 

 

[jeremie]

On last day, some fellow from Austria went on the river. We tried a lot to find cats, going a total of 4 times either kayaking on boat riding but failed to find one.

 

It appears that Gernot sent me few days after we came back this lovely picture of one jaguar while we were probably taking breakfast before taking our aircraft back to Campo Grande to catch the plane... There were 2 jaguars mating, here is one of the cats... All is posible on the Rio Negro river!

 

Credits are from Gernot Pulverer.

 

 

[PeterHG]

Amazing photography throughout! Thanks for sharing these.

[xelas]

Beautiful places presented here, fantastic photography. 

[jeremie]

13 hours ago, xelas said:

Beautiful places presented here, fantastic photography. 

 

I still need to finish the report... There are two more parts here:

FBA in 2019, Porto Jofre during COVID in september 2020, and during the rains in February 2021.

[jeremie]

Here we are!

 

I will continue with Fazenda Barranco Alto in 2019, before ending with Porto Jofré in 2020 & 2021.

 

 

 

[jeremie]

[hubertj]

Great photos and trip report Jeremie !

 

We are going to Pantanal in September this year, with a trip which we had to postpone from last year, due to Covid. Our plan was to go to northern Pantanal and then spend a week in Barranco Alto in the south. Unfortunatelly Barranco Alto has informed us recently that they are suspending tourism business for a year (from July 2021 until August 2022), as they rented entire lodge exclusively to one of Brasilian TV channels for a TV drama filming, and thus our booking had to be cancelled. They explained that last year hit them hard, and they could not risk another year like that, so they decided to accept the offer from TV and rent the property to ensure the survival of the lodge. We understand their decision, but at the same time we are really heartbroken, as we were really looking forward to visiting BA.

 

Giulietta from BA offered us to change our stay to Baia das Pedras. We didn't know too much about this property, but thanks to your report we are much more confident that it would be a good decision. Thanks a lot for sharing your impressions !

Edited June 9, 2021 by hubertj

[jeremie]

Just go to Baia das Pedras!

 

It is really worth visiting! We stayed there 3-4 night and it was really fine. You will find more diversity probably than in BA, especially along the vazante, but you do not have the river.

If you want to combine with another place, Andre Moratelli from Pantanal Jaguar Safari, with whom I went 3 times (2 in the last 6 months), told me that Aguape is nice and very good for giant ant eaters and birding.

 

There are many good reports from Refugio da Ilha, and Caiman Lodge (top end tourism there), on the way to Corumba..

Edited June 9, 2021 by jeremie