Join us to the Pantanal
in 2022!
About the destination
Our journey goes to the Pantanal, one of South America's most fascinating nature areas with a unique variety of species. What makes this area so special is the excellent photo opportunities that you find in the open environments. We will explore these, either on foot over the savannahs or in the comfort of a boat on one of the Pantanal's many rivers. Outside Africa, there is no other area that is comparable to the Pantanal in terms of density of larger animals. Nowhere in the world is there a better chance to photograph the normally so shy jaguar, South America's largest feline, than right in the Pantanal. The special feature here is that jaguars are very tolerant of the presence of people after many years of absence of hunting and it provides unique photo opportunities. And that’s only the top of the ice berg. Here lays caimans side by side on the best beaches, small herds of capybaras are basking in the morning sun and the giant otters plays in the river. Add to that more than 400 species of species of birds and you understand why the camera's memory card quickly fills up during a trip in this area!
About the tour
During the trip we will stay comfortably at three different ranches and
from there we will make hikes, boat tours and safaris by car to get
close to Pantanal's fascinating wildlife. To maximize our chances of
seeing jaguars we will also stay in a comfortable hotel just off the
river Sao Lourenco in the Pantanal's absolute core area. The hotel is a
short boat ride from the best places to see jaguars and from here we
will take our boats and go out at dawn to explore the river system. We
have chosen to limit the number of participants to ten people. There
will be only five people per boat as we search for jaguars and other
exciting species. This allows for a lot of time with the guides, good
photo opportunities and the possibility of flexibility in the program.
Our philosophy is that our tours should contribute to the preservation of the nature in the areas we travel to. As a consequence of that, we hire local guides and accommodation to benefit the local economy. Of course, our top priority is that you as a traveler, will get an unforgettable experience. As a result of that you will hopefully spread the message about the importance of preserving species and nature. Our ambition is that animals should be worth more alive than dead.
Tour information
Date: 21 July - 1 August 2022
Price: Contact us
Maximum group size: Min 8, max 10
Cost includes:
- Meals as stated in the itinerary.
- Two tour leaders and two local guides
-
Private guide and private activities throughout
- Private land and boat transports
- Accommodation in shared double room (single room for supplement fee)
Cost does not include:
- International and domestic airtickets.
- Trip cancellation & Travel insurance
- Passport and Visa fees
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
Interested?
Send an email with your contact information to info@bergmannaturetours.com.
We will then come back with more information.
You are welcome to contact us if you have questions about the trip.
More information about terms and conditions and travel guarantee.
Tour leaders
Karl-Olof Bergman has a PhD in conservation biology and has travelled to many of the world's biodiversity hotspots, always bringing his camera. He is an associate professor at Linköping university and he passionately shares his deep knowledge in ecology and conservation biology.
Björn Johansson is a biologist who really enjoy lush rainforests rich in species.
A great passion for tropical ecology has taken him to many of the world´s remote rainforests. He has also lead photography workshops and courses for beginners as well as more advanced photographers.
The world's largest wetland
Pantanal consists of a mosaic of wetlands, forests and drier savannah-like areas. Pantanal stretches over three countries, the majority located in Brazil (70%), while the remainder is in Bolivia (20%) and Paraguay (10%). During the rainy season the water rises two to five meters in the rivers and 80% of the Pantanal become flooded in the world's largest wetland, nearly 1000 km long and 500 km wide! The annual floods bring nutrient-rich sludge that makes the area extremely productive and that is the reason the area has South America's highest densities of larger animals. There are more than ten million caimans that in the dry season is concentrated in rivers and in the remaining water holes where we have good chances to view these crocodile relatives in close-up. During the dry season, a lot of wildlife are attracted to the remaining water bodies, especially the jaguar's favorite prey capybaras, a 60 kg heavy rodent grazing on the beaches and in the water. If we are really lucky we can get the opportunity to experience how the jaguar sneaks up on a caiman or capybara along the river's shores!
Outstanding diversity
Pantanal is also home to a number of other iconic mammals which we will try to see during the trip. These include the giant otter, now endangered because of hunting but have a safe haven in the Pantanal. Seeing the giant anteater strolling out across the savannah in search of termites belong to the absolute highlights and with great luck we will also see South America's largest mammals, the 250 kg tapir.
Among the many species of birds, there are two species that really stands out among the rest. The first is the world's largest stork, the characteristic black-white-red jabiru stork, a rare species in other parts of its range. The other species is the deep blue hyacinth macaw, an endangered macaw of which the majority of the world population is to be found in the Pantanal. But there is also loads of other interesting species. We hope to see the ostrich-like greater rhea, bare-faced currasow, black skimmers that hunt along the surface of the water and the almost cartoon-like toco toucan with its big orange beak. Snail kite, a raptor specialist on snails is often seen sweeping along the beaches accompanied by black collared hawks and several species of kingfishers. We will also try to find the extremely well-camouflaged great potoo.
Besides caimans we have a chance to view other charismatic reptiles like the yellow anaconda and caiman lizard, a big beautiful lizard specialized in snails. With such a large density of large animals and birds, it is easy to forget the rest, but with 3500 species of plants, there is much to discover also here. Among wetland plants, it is probably the giant water lily that fascinates most with their meter large leaves. There is also a great diversity of insects, especially colorful butterflies and dragonflies.
Bring many memory cards for your camera and see you in the Pantanal wetlands!
Itinerary
PANTANAL - JAGUAR WILDLIFE PHOTO TOUR
Day 1
Bergman Nature Tours meet you at the airport in Cuiaba and we start our trip. We start the trip going south into Pantanal and after two hours in our bus we are at our first lodge.
The ranch that we stay on has started to focus more on ecotourism, switching from cattle ranching. They still have cattle but jaguars are now tolerated and other wildlife are also quickly increasing. By using these lodges that are on the way to switch to ecotourism we support the conservation of the wildlife in Pantanal. We have a good chance of seeing black howler monkeys, black-tailed marmosets, spoonbills and sunbathing caimans. With a little luck, we can see one of the smaller anteaters, southern tamandua, when they search for termites. Here we also have the chance to see the red-legged seriema, a unique bird with only one more species in the entire family. The two species of seriemas are considered to be the closest relatives of a group of extinct giant carnivorous birds, the so-called terror birds.
To look forward to this day: The excitement when we start our trip into the Pantanal and experience the first large jabiru storks hunting frogs and snakes in the water ponds next to the road.
Meals included: Lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Comfortable lodge in the drier parts of Pantanal - ☆☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning, tv an refrigerator
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Private bathroom
– Restaurant
– Swimming pool
– Free WiFi
Day 2
We start early at 05.00 the second day on the tour trying to spot the giant anteater, the largest anteater in the world. We go back for breakfast around seven and continue the trip further into Pantanal along the Transpantaneira, the road with the original plan of going straight through the Pantanal. Surrounded by wetlands we have a good chance to spot many wetland birds like the snail kite, different species of herons and the greater rhea if we are lucky. If we find interesting species and areas during the trip down to our second lodge we wiil of course stop and use the opportunities if they show up. The new ranch that we will come to is rich in mammals and birds and you may literally take the pic of the day outside your room. This ranch is one of the pioneers in ecotourism in Pantanal and full of wildlife!
To look forward to this day: To see South America's largest land animal, the tapir, peacefully nibble on the bushes next to our safari truck.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Lodge in the heart of the grasslands of Pantanal - ☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning and fan
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Private bathroom
– Restaurant
Day 3
We spend another day in the heart of Pantanals grasslands. In addition to large amounts of caimans and capybaras, the surroundings offer good chances to see crab-eating foxes, coatis and one of South America's largest lizards, the black and white teju. We also have a chance for rare species such as tapir and giant anteater. After lunch we explore the surroundings on foot or by car with our guide where we hope for several new bird species such as the greater rhea, the beautiful orange-backed troupial, the colorful chestnut-eared aracari and the bare-faced curassow with its remarkable "hairstyle". For those who like, we also take an evening tour in our safari truck and scout with spotlights for night-active species. If we are lucky, one of the smaller cats may show up here. Six species of cats have been recorded on the ranch, so there is a chance!
To look forward to this day: To get a glimpse of the elusive and beautiful ozelot.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Lodge in the heart of the grasslands of Pantanal - ☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning and fan
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Private bathroom
– Restaurant
– Pool
Day 4
After breakfast we go deeper into the heart of Pantanal and the absolutely best areas for South America's largest cat, the mythical jaguar. Now the adventure is taken to a higher level! On the sides of the road, where there are open waters, large numbers of caimans gather, and so do herons and storks including the majestic jabiru with a height of 140 cm. When we look out over the extensive wetlands, we can often see Pantanals' character bird, the snail kite hunt for crabs and apple snails.
After our journey, we reach the Cuiaba river and the small village of Porto Jofre. Our lodge is located close to the river at which we will spend most of the coming days in our search for jaguars, giant otters and much more. Our first boat safari is already in the afternoon, something to look forward to!
To look forward to this day: To see the brilliant blue hyacinth macaws flying in the evening sun outside our rooms.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Comfortable lodge close to the reserve Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas that has the highest density of jaguars in Brazil - ☆☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning, tv and refrigerator
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Private bathroom
– Restaurant
– Swimming pool
– Free Wifi
Day 5-9
Now the journey's most exciting part begins, where we focus on getting unique encounters with the area's jaguars. We spend a full five days inside the area that houses Pantanal's densest jaguar population. We come during the dry season when the jaguars move along the river banks and this gives us the chance to follow them and experience a number of their natural behaviors. As one of the few places in the world, there is even a chance to see the jaguars hunting, which gives opportunities for truly unique photos. Over the years, we have learned the behavior of the jaguar, which has given our guests many unique experiences. We also make use of the fact that the jaguar hunt most actively in the middle of the day when most other boats with photographers go back for lunch. Instead, we have packed lunch which we often eat near a resting jaguar while waiting for some prey to show up. As a guest with Bergman Nature tours you get at least two hours more time with the jaguar compared to if you spend time going back to the lodge for lunch. We are traveling in two boats with a tour leader and a local guide in each boat. To maximize the chances of encountering jaguar, our guides also keep in contact with other boats. The boats are open and stable for excellent photo opportunities. In case of rain or strong sun, a roof can be folded up.
The days on the river, however, are not just about jaguars. The area around Porto Jofre is crossed by several larger rivers and a number of smaller tributaries, which means that no day becomes like the other one. Keep your eyes open for a variety of birds, caimans and capybaras. In the evenings at dinner, we have time to reflect on and share our experiences during the day. What was your highlight? What was the best picture of the day? What do you think we'll see tomorrow?
To look forward to this day: The obvious answer is, of course, to see as many natural jaguar behaviours as possible, including hunting! And at least as much, we hope to see the endangered giant otter.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Comfortable lodge close to the reserve Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas that has the highest density of jaguars in Brazil - ☆☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning, tv and refrigerator
– Private bathroom
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Swimming pool
– Free Wifi
– Restaurant
Day 10
Our journey continues after breakfast and after a couple of hours drive we arrive at our next lodge, located nearby one of the many beautiful rivers of Pantanal. The lodge is an excellent starting point for further exploration of the surroundings. Following the bends in the river in a boat, we have good chances to encounter the endangered giant river otter and the largest kingfisher in South America, ringed kingfisher, perhaps hunting for fish. Other species to look for are several species of parrots, anhinga and black-collared hawk.
The real highlight here is the chance to see ozelot, one of South America's most elegant felines. This agile, little cat has beautifully speckled fur and stripes that turns into small spots in its face. However, the species have been heavily hunted due to this stunning and attractive fur. Normally it is a very shy species, but at our lodge there is a chance to see a few individuals from a hide if we are lucky. We hope to get a glimpse of this spectacular little cat!
To look forward to this day: To get a glimpse of the elusive and beautiful ozelot from our hide in the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Lodge along the river Rio Pixaim, with a rich variety of wildlife watching opportunities - ☆☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning and fan
– Private bathroom
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Swimming pool
– Free Wifi
– Restaurant
– Observation tower for wildlife watching
Day 11
After breakfast we continue to explore the surroundings by car on the way to the next lodge that also is located close to the river. On the river we have another chance of spotting giant river otters, the largest otter in the world. It has been heavily hunted for its fur and is very rare over the majority of its distribution area. They live in small family groups and the species is one of our favorites to see. It always happens something when we find them, they play, catch fish, mark their territories and they loudly communicate with each other. Along the river there is a rich birdlife and black-collared hawks sometimes swoop down to catch fish in front of our boats giving us nice photo opportunities.
To look forward to this day: That we will encounter a group of giant otters hunting in front of our boat.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodation: Comfortable lodge in the drier parts of Pantanal - ☆☆☆☆
– Rooms with air conditioning and fan
– Private bathroom
– Electrical outlets in rooms for charging your devices
– Swimming pool
– Free Wifi
– Restaurant
–Observation tower for wildlife watching
Day 12
After breakfast we leave our lodge and go back to Cuiaba and to the airport where the tour ends.
Meals included: Breakfast
