I spent three days in the Pantanal, staying in Porto Jofre, close to the main rivers where we went to spot wildlife. Each day, we took a boat trip in the morning, came back for lunch, and headed out again around 2 p.m. Each trip lasted about three hours.
I used a Nikon camera with a zoom lens. We were able to get pretty close to the jaguars, about four or five meters away, and they didn’t seem bothered by the boats. It was like we were a bunch of iron hippos hanging out near them. Maybe they see the boats as big, noisy creatures that don’t really affect them.
There were a lot of boats. Whenever someone spotted a jaguar, the boats would let each other know and gather nearby so people could watch and take photos. Online, I mostly see people criticizing these activities and saying they’re harmful to the animals. I’m not a biologist, so I can’t really say. But I found it interesting because it seems to bring a lot of attention to the wildlife.
The animals seemed well cared for and protected, and the surrounding vegetation looked very well preserved too. Some animals had been rescued from a major wildfire in the Pantanal and were wearing tracking collars to monitor their health and movements. So there seems to be a lot of work going on in that region.
You see lots of birds and caimans, with caimans right next to the boats all the time. It’s pretty scary, but in a healthy, respect-for-nature kind of way. The guides were fantastic. There were also tons of mosquitoes, so bring repellent if you go.
It’s a safari in Brazil, and much cheaper than an African safari. I really enjoyed the trip and got to take plenty of photos. The local people were great: polite, welcoming, and friendly. I had zero issues with crime or violence and felt very safe the whole time. It’s a beautiful place, far away from the cities, and I’d definitely recommend the trip.
I’ve attached some photos I took. Hope you like it. Thanks.