Pantanal 2019 & 2020

[janzin]

Just fantastic jaguar photos. Definitely making me want to return.

 

[gatoratlarge]

Brilliant portraits!  There is something so impressive about a jaguar!

[jeremie]

[jeremie]

Last picture of Darryl...

[jeremie]

[jeremie]

I would like to share with you Andre Moratelli's picutre from this morning! it's just spectacular!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSnNPSYlnDy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by jeremie

[jeremie]

Further pictures from "Tapirland"! Also known as Pousada Pouso Alegre!

 

Behind the Scenes....

 

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by jeremie

[xyz99]

Just wow! As always, great photos @jeremie

[Alexander33]

Of all the species I’ve sought, the tapir is my nemesis. We saw them at Pouso Alegre (finally!), but only at night. So my quest to see them in the daylight continues. Just amazing how close you got to that one!  

 

And I agree, Andre’s photo of the jaguars on Instagram is incredible. 

[jeremie]

I was pending completing this TR with pics from September 20220 during COVID. Unfortunately I lost some of the best pictures, but what to say...

 

1) we were alone on the river, just 2 other tourist boats.

2) it did not affect our sightings, no need to have radio calls, as we did see multiple jaguar sightings every day

3) we started our day with the sighting of a jaguars on the Tres Irmaos river as a hotspot with cats Margo, Balam, Ibaca, Aju, Suzana, Tusk, Edno and 

4) we ended with amazing cubs sightings on Ponto Certo on Piquiri river with Pachamamo, Tainara, Pythe, Hyacynt but the best was several sightings of Pixana and her 2 months old cub Fenix

5) we witnessed a great fight between Pixana and Pythe, probably because Pixana was protecting here tiny kitten.

6) marsh deers and tapirs were sighted on the river as the Pantanal were on fire...

7) we then had astounding sightings of giant anteater at Piuval with cub, and more tapirs!

 

Day 1: First time on the river, sightings of Aju on Tres Irmaos

 

We found a boat from the vets who sedated Aju to treat his wound on the fires due to the fires.

We also found a tapir with wounded also du to the fires... 

It seems that large mammals survived, some were wounded, but the fires tool toll focusing on small mammals and reptiles such as armadillos and snaked...

 

 

 

Day 2: Sightings of Ibaca, Forasteiro and Margo on Tres Irmaos

 

Our guide Andre Moratelli spotted a new male jaguar named Forasteiro mating with female Margo on previous trip a couple of days ago. We now saw again Forasteiro feeding on a marsh deer kill on Tres Irmaos river, but alone, and with a fresh new scare.

 

Day 3: Sightings of Balam and Margo mating, Tusk & Aju on Tres Irmaos

 

We spotted on the marsh deer kill 2 jaguars resting this morning: male Balam, the king of the area, with Margo who mwas in heat before. We understood that Balam kicked off Forasteiro and took Margo for his own in order to mate with her. As soon as they moved from the marsh deer kill, we spotted male Aju crossing the river to feed on the kill. He then left after that Margo and Balam got back.

We then followed Balam swimming and bathing upstream. We sighted Tusk at our way back to Hotel Pantanal Norte. And we spent all the afternoon with Margo who was resting close by the kill.

 

What a day!

 

 

Day 4: New sightings of Edno, Suzana and Ibaca on Tres Irmaos

 

We found Ibaca with a caiman kill on la Ilha, and then went upstream to found Suzana mating with Edno on a high bank.

 

 

Day 5: we found Pixana with cub Fenix at sunlight in harsh light conditions (backlight) on Rio Cuiaba. We spent the afternoon with Ibaca on Tres Irmaos with little action.

 

 

Day 6: Pixana & Fenix, Pachamamo, Pyte fight with Pixana on Piquiri river

 

It was the highlight of the trip. Unfortunately, I lost the best pics from Pixana and fenix...

 

 

Day 7: Tainara and Hyacinth on Cuiaba and Piquiri river. Spot again Pixana hunting on Cuiaba river

 

 

Days 8-9: Following days at Posada Piuval 

 

 

 

 

[jeremie]

Some more pictures from Karina 

[Zubbie15]

Lovely photos @jeremie, thanks for sharing.  We’re finally, hopefully, going to get to the Pantanal next year, after originally being scheduled for 2020!  Out of curiosity, what lens are you using? I’m trying to figure out what type of focal length is required, especially on the rivers.

[Alexander33]

@jeremie

 

You really had some great jaguar sightings, and to have them to yourselves or with only a few other boats around makes them extra special. I’m sorry to hear that you lost some of your best photos, though — that’s devastating. 
 

Speaking of devastating, the tapir with the burn injuries certainly highlights the destruction caused by the fires that year. 

Excellent close-up of that Toco Toucan!

 

[janzin]

Just fabulous photos as always!  How did you lose some?
 

We are going in September, I imagine the crowds have returned somewhat but perhaps not quite as busy as pre-pandemic. We’ll see!

Edited July 16, 2022 by janzin

[Atravelynn]

Holy Moly, these are fantastic shots--quality and phenomenal subject(s).  You mentioned you lost some of the best pics and nothing anyone can say can really lessen that disappointment, but the photos that ARE HERE would be considered best shots ever by most people. 

[jeremie]

14 hours ago, Zubbie15 said:

Lovely photos @jeremie, thanks for sharing.  We’re finally, hopefully, going to get to the Pantanal next year, after originally being scheduled for 2020!  Out of curiosity, what lens are you using? I’m trying to figure out what type of focal length is required, especially on the rivers.

 

We had different lenses but I mostly used a Nikor 500 f5,6. I also had a TC 1,4 but it was not necessary to use it as you can get quite close to the cats there. I also had a Nikor 80-400 f4. The quality of that lens is lower than the first one so used it as a second lens, but it is indeed a good choice in order to compose and get picture of cats in the landscapes rather than taking close-ups.

[jeremie]

12 hours ago, Alexander33 said:

@jeremie

 

You really had some great jaguar sightings, and to have them to yourselves or with only a few other boats around makes them extra special. I’m sorry to hear that you lost some of your best photos, though — that’s devastating. 
 

Speaking of devastating, the tapir with the burn injuries certainly highlights the destruction caused by the fires that year. 

Excellent close-up of that Toco Toucan!

 

 

We definitely had outstanding sightings and being alone on the river was a real privilege. I actually won't go to Porto Jofré in the crowds, I really want to be alone with the animals to get special picture, and don't really see the point to see a jaguar with 15-20 boats around.

 

The fires were huge in 2020, and damages were very hard on the local biodiversity. The Pantanal is also getting drier every year so biologist start to be worried about the effects of lower cycle of floods on wildlife. If the river does not flood, mosquitoes won't be able to lay their eggs in the fields, fishes won't be able to lay the eggs in the fields close to the mosquitoes, baby fish won't eat the eggs of the mosquitoes, less fish will affect the populations of caimans, otters and birds, so jaguars densities might get lower.... It's all the trophic chain that would be impacted and no one really knows what would happen there...

[jeremie]

11 hours ago, janzin said:

Just fabulous photos as always!  How did you lose some?
 

We are going in September, I imagine the crowds have returned somewhat but perhaps not quite as busy as pre-pandemic. We’ll see!

 

Traditional discs are not as efficient than the new SSD. I really suggest migrating to this new technologies. 

 

September is indeed a great time to visit Pantanal, but I am afraid that the crowds are now back on the river. 2021 was an extraordinary year with 3-4 females raising the small cubs and many great kills sightings.  Medrosa and Ague were largely seen around the Black river at the entrance of Tres Irmaos river. I think that the best pics ever of jaguars were taken last year, so let's cross the fingers that you will also get the luck on your side in September!

[jeremie]

7 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

Holy Moly, these are fantastic shots--quality and phenomenal subject(s).  You mentioned you lost some of the best pics and nothing anyone can say can really lessen that disappointment, but the photos that ARE HERE would be considered best shots ever by most people. 

 

Thank you very much Atravelynn!

I am pretty happy with many of these pictures, perhaps more with the giant anteaters than the others.

[janzin]

10 hours ago, jeremie said:

 

We had different lenses but I mostly used a Nikor 500 f5,6. I also had a TC 1,4 but it was not necessary to use it as you can get quite close to the cats there. I also had a Nikor 80-400 f4. The quality of that lens is lower than the first one so used it as a second lens, but it is indeed a good choice in order to compose and get picture of cats in the landscapes rather than taking close-ups.

That's exactly what I plan to bring...although instead of the 80-400 I will bring the new 100-400Z lens (I'm all mirrorless now.) I just bought that lens specifically for this trip. So that plus the Nikon 500 5.6 PF should be the perfect combo, I think.

[pedro maia]

Amazing @jeremie, you had incredible sightings and some of the pictures are outstanding, so many jaguars, including the cub, and the anteater with cub are also my favourites.

 

It´s a privilege to be in the Pantanal without any crowds but that was only possible because of the pandemic, unless you go there during the rainy season it won´t (hopefully) happen again.