Jaguar relaxing on a river bank in Mato Grosso Sur Brazil.
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR + AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II, handheld, 1/200 s @ F5.6, Auto-ISO at 2500, Exp +1.3 Dynamic-area AF, 51 point 3D.
Image copyright 2012 Robert OToole Photography
The image above was my very first chance to photograph a Jaguar in the wild and the rest of the photographic opportunities on my scouting trip to the Pantanal were so good, with multiple sightings each day, I almost cannot believe that I was lucky enough to even be there to experience them. My trip was to the prime Jaguar viewing area on the planet were three rivers meet at the Mato Grosso/Mato Grosso Sur border.
Jaguar encounters
The main target of my Pantanal scouting trip was the Jaguar we were so successful that some of my experiences from this trip are seared into my memory forever. My first Jaguar sighting of this trip, and of my life, was a quick flash of a running jaguar followed half second pause followed by a leap off a ten foot river bank right into the water near our boat. My 500mm VR lens in my hands made shooting this encounter impossible due to the close distance but I feel lucky just to see it. Another amazing encounter was a Jaguar venturing out over the river on a fallen tree trunk to confront a group of giant otters. It was amazing to see the big cat toy with the otters by pushing down on the tree with its front paws to see the reaction of the otters, which did not seem to be amused! The best encounter and one of the highlights of the trip was seeing a sleeping Jaguar wake up and jump down directly top of a huge caiman a few feet from our boat. Jaguars kill by crushing the prey's skull (leopards on the other hand kill by asphyxiation) so this caiman never had a chance. The Jaguar held the caiman by the back of the head and after a lot of struggling and splashing eventually the Jaguar was able to lift this huge caiman in its jaws up and over the river bank to consume it out of sight. I was able to make a few acceptable frames of this encounter and will share them later on.
Photo opportunities
The opportunities in the Pantanal were excellent. The animal count for this trip was 15, and the bird count was over 50 but not only were the number of different subjects great but almost all of the animals, even tarantulas or the shy tapirs were easy to shoot, some were surprisingly oblivious to the presence of photographers, some species like the black collared hawk and giant otter were even habituated to humans.
South american coati, Pantanal, Mato Grosso Brazil.
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR + AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II handheld, 1/1250 s @ F5.6, Auto-ISO at 1250, Exp +1, Dynamic-area AF, 51 point 3D.
Image copyright 2012 Robert OToole Photography
The coati were always fun to photograph. Coati females travel in bands of 15-30 and are always actively searching on the ground and in trees for a meal. The Pantanal is home to hundreds of species of birds include anything from tiny hummingbirds and kingfishers to storks and eagles. The birds were so plentiful and this trip I cant even imagine what it must be like during the peak bird breeding season, the wet season. The buff-necked ibis, southern crested caracara and Hyacinth Macaw were everywhere and almost in the way on the grounds at the lodges.
Hyacinth Macaw, Pantanal, Mato Grosso Brazil.
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR + AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II handheld, 1/1250 s @ F5.6, Auto-ISO at 2000, Exp +1.7, Dynamic-area AF, 51 point 3D.
Image copyright 2012 Robert OToole Photography
Close up Tapir portrait, Pantanal, Mato Grosso Brazil. Nikon D800E and Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM @ 500mm,
1/1250 s @ F8, Auto-ISO at 1600, Dynamic-area AF, 51 point 3D, handheld.
Image copyright 2012 Robert OToole Photography
Accommodations
Our accommodations were locally Brazilian owned lodges or Posadas. At the Jaguar location the lodge was very comfortable with big spacious rooms and a big contrast to the house boat accommodations that almost all the other Pantanal photo tour groups use. Our lodge staff were great and each day we had excellent meals, with plenty of fuit, fresh produce, beef, chicken and fish for lunch and dinner and some of the very best fish dishes I have ever had in my life. The main fish we were served was the locally caught fresh Pintado catfish, a huge boldly striped and spotted silver and black catfish of the Pseudoplatystoma species commingly known as the tiger shovelnose catfish outside of brazil.
The Pantanal in 2013
Don't miss out on the chance to photograph one of earth's most biologically rich wetland systems and a truly spectacular photography destination. I will lead two trips in 2013 so if you are interested in a Pantanal tour email me and and I can place you on an interest list. Otherwise I will be posting details for next years trips here soon.
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