Porto Jofre

Monday August 26, we travel further southward deeper into the heart of the northern Pantanal. Our destination is the end of the 90-mile-long dirt road, Porto Jofre on the Cuiaba river. We make some stops and photograph a variety of creatures, including an Ostridge type big bird, a up-close hawk and a relatively small anaconda. By Brazilian standard the Porto Jofre Lodge is luxury level accommodations with modern capable high speed boats docked 50 yards from our rooms. This is Jaguar country, which is our main focus, although we have lots of other photo ops, between Jaguar encounters. Each day we go out twice with 2 to 3 photographers per boat.

Our main objective is Jaguars and we are not disappointed on our first day.

In the afternoon we are further rewarded with more cat’s to photograph, loving Jaguar country.

We leave in the morning right at day break returning at around 11:00 AM then go out again, around 3:00PM returning at dark. The boat drivers communicate via radio, so when a Jaguar is spotted all boats in our group can get a photo op.

On the second day in Jaguar country we continue to have lot’s of photo-Op’s. Our primary objective here is jaguars and we were not disappointed.

There were plenty of other things to photograph while we were searching for Jaguars.

We observed a jaguar mothers coaxing her cub into learning to swim. This cub wasn’t ready today but later we will see success.

We see more jaguars along the river, before we call it a day.

Another day and again, we are not disappointed, more jaguars.

And more in the afternoon.

The next afternoon we get a treat, this time mom coaxes junior into the water who finds a stick and it turns into fun .

In the afternoon we watched as a jaguar unsuccessfully stalked a pair of capybaras. The jaguar got close but the wind changed and the prey easily could outswim the big cat. The jaguar then crossed the river and swam into the wind up river, but round one went to the giant rodent.

We have seen literally thousands of Caiman in the rivers and on the banks so that you almost don’t notice them anymore. But they are there and every once in awhile you take notice and give a little shiver.

It’s time to start back north, so we leave Pantanal Norte back toward Rio Claro our last stop. Porto Jofre has been magical with our jaguar experience being a highlight of our trip.

Click on “Happenings” below and then navigate to the last chapter in this adventure.