The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
Background information: Ever since I've been going to the Pantanal various guides raved about the Southern Pantanal and urged me to visit the area. They said the wildlife opportunities were diverse and the shooting was wonderful, and a few years ago I finally made a scouting trip to the area and I, too, was very impressed. Two years ago we did our first Extension to the area, which proved equally successful, and had we had the chance we'd have booked spaces for the very next year. I'm very excited about this location for a variety of reasons, including the fact that we'll usually be in areas where we'll have the wildlife opportunities to ourselves.
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Photo Safari
We'll be visiting three locations in the southern division of this vast wetland, the Pantanal, during the dry season when wildlife is concentrated in the remaining wetlands and along the permanent river courses. In contrast to our northern Pantanal trips, we have much more freedom here for either individual or for group photography, as our time is not spent on skiffs looking for jaguars. Instead, some of our shooting and exploration will be from open vehicles, where we'll either shoot together or disembark to shoot in a particular area.
Caiman doing the 'bubble dance' or 'dancing water' display, a courtship
behavior where water shoots up like a fountain from the caiman.
Our Itinerary
Day 1. September 6.
Transfer to Cuiaba airport (the last day of our Jaguar shoot). We'll have lunch at the airport and have a late afternoon flight to Campo Grande. From there we'll drive to Jardim, the location of our first shoot, and we'll have a light dinner en route.
Overnight, Hotel Vitoria
Day 2. September 7.
After breakfast we'll head to the incredible sink hole where we'll be photographing Red and Blue Macaws as they fly about the cliffs, both above and below us. The shooting is exciting, as the birds are often close, and the shooting is challenging, too, as you'll discover! Afterwards we'll head to Fazenda San Francisco (FSF), having lunch along the way, possibly at an eco lodge where Red-legged Seriemas, Parakeets, and other birds are common and tame.
At FSF we'll do a catamaran boat ride for Yacare' Caiman and other wildlife, and after dinner we'll do a game drive for Ocelot.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 3-4. September 8 and 9.
AM Private excursions for Giant Anteaters and other wildlife. We'll have our own truck to drive the dirt tracks and around the canals. In the fields we'll have a good chance of finding Giant Anteater, and along the canals, birds and deer, especially Marsh Deer.
PM. Non-private outing on boats for Caiman, Jaguar, Birds, etc. The afternoon shoots can be rewarding, but it is our time later in the day that we're really looking forward to!
Evening: Private Excursions looking for Ocelot. We've seen as many as four Ocelots in one evening, and although most are less than ideal photo subjects, we usually get at least one that is a star. Last year, we had an Ocelot on a tree right beside the track, providing us with incredible shots.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 5. September 10.
After breakfast we'll head to our final destination, Posada Aguape (PA) where we'll have a variety of shooting options. We'll arrive in time for lunch, and in the mid-afternoon we'll do a game drive, looking for Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox, and other species.
After dinner we'll drive to a special 'fish cleaning area' where several habituated ocelots usually visit. We'll need flash, and we will prep participants on the best gear for this exciting option.
Overnight, PA.
Day 6-7. September 11 and 12.
We'll do game drives both AM and PM, likely photographing Jabiru Storks flying straight at us at eye-level, as well as Fox, Caimans, and whatever else we find. Pampas Deer, Yellow Armadillo, Tamandua, Giant Anteaters ... we've had all of these species here, as well as a variety of birds. This location is the only site for any recent observations of an extremely rare mammal, the Bush Dog. A good friend of mine actually photographed this animal here! After dinner we'll do night game drives, probably visiting Ocelot location at least once.
Overnights, PA.
Day 8. September 13.
After breakfast we'll head back to Campo Grande, having lunch en route. In the PM we'll depart for our flight to Sao Paulo, where most will make their connections for flights back to home.
Special Night Photography Option
Every year I set up camera traps using my flashes and Range IRs in an attempt to photograph ocelots, tapirs, or other nocturnal species. I will be happy to assist any of our participants who wishes to do the same, however, you will have to have your own equipment. I will provide a complete list of suggested gear for this, upon request. To date, no one has taken up this offer, and it does require extra effort and energy, since the set-ups are done in our 'spare time' mid-day, and armed right before dark. I'll discuss the pros and cons of this with anyone who is interested.
Birds and Wildlife
As stated above, there are scores of birds and many mammals and reptiles.The mammals we've seen on the last few trips include the following:
jaguar, ocelot, South American river or neotropical otter,
agouti, cabybara, coatimundi, crab-eating fox, brown capuchin monkey, red brocket deer, marsh deer, Pampas deer, various bats, yellow armadillo, giant anteater, southern tamandua.
The birds are truly too numerous to list completely,although the Macaws, the Velociraptor-like Red-legged Seriema, numerous Hawks, Striped Owls, songbirds, Parakeets, Ovenbirds or Horneros, and many, many more.
TRIP DETAILS AND PRICING
The Photo Tour begins and ends in Campo Grande, Matto Grosso Sur, Brazil. From Campo Grande we'll travel by land into the Pantanal to our various destinations.
In-country transportation with the group, all meals, and lodging (double occupancy) are included. If you miss the flight to Campo Grande with the group, our Brazilian tour company will provide the land transportation to our location in the Pantanal, however, you are responsible for that transportation cost, as well as any lodging or food costs incurred. We recommend participants who are joining us for this trip, and who are not continuing on from the Jaguar Wildlife Tour, should arrive in Sao Paulo early in order to make the connecting flight to Cuiaba or to Campo Grande (We will give specific instructions to anyone who are joining us only for this tour).
Tips for the English-speaking Brazilian guide and guides for our private outings are included, however participants usually add a little extra as a gratuity, although this is optional.
Meals are included, starting with breakfast on September 7 and ending with lunch on September 14.
Not Included:
International Airfare.
Domestic airfare to/from Campo Grande.
Additional fees for checked and/or Carry-on luggage.
Any additional lodging prior to or after the tour.
The following meals: lunch at the Cuiaba Airport (Sept. 6)
Dinner en route to Jardim (Sept. 6)
Dinner in Sao Paulo (Sept. 13)
Personal drinks throughout the tour
Laundry
Any gifts or additional amenities
Optional Flight Seeing Trip (see below)
Gratuities for Lodge Staff, Hotel Personnel
($10/day/per is recommended for the lodges - we'll have
5 nights at the two different lodges.
We'll have one night in the Hotel Vitoria in Jardim, so
you may wish to tip the room steward and luggage handlers.
Optional extra tip for the guides
The Photo Tour/Safari is limited to 10 participants. Please contact our office immediately if you are interested.
Optional Flight Seeing
At Posada Aguape a Flight Seeing option may be available. There is usually a pilot and plane stationed at the Lodge who charters flights of varying length. This is a great opportunity for seeing
Price: $4595
Single Supplement: $700
About Your Leaders
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough Photo Tour you will experience. We have been doing this together for 25 years, and I've been doing so for a few more years than that! We lead all of our photo tours and safaris, and we have been leading tours to the Pantanal for eight years.
I doubt if there isanother American-based photographer, and certainly no husband/wife photo team, with the amount of experience that we have leading photo tours to the Pantanal. This fact is relevant because we know the wildlife, we know behavior, and we know what will make a great photograph. We know when to stay and wait and we can honestly state that you'll get the majority of your best photographs when you are in our skiff.
Here is a perfect example. This Crane Hawk is a species that resembles the African Gymnogene, aka African Harrier Hawk, and hunts in exactly the same way. On our most recent trip we watched as several boats passed by, blandly noting 'a hawk' perched in a tree, nothing exciting. However, we knew this bird's behavior, which is quite interesting as it hovers at a cavity or nest hole, or hangs tight to a tree trunk, fishing for a baby bird, a lizard, or a frog hidden from view. We waited, and were treated to a wonderful view as the Hawk captured five different frogs in twenty minutes. Only one other skiff was there -- occupied by an experienced Pantanal film-maker.
Both Mary and I are naturalists and photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, Wildlife Conservation, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
In 1994 Mary Ann won two first place awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in Endangered Species and in Bird Behavior. In 1998 she had three highly commended images published in the BBC competition. She won first place in the Cemex/Nature's Best photo contest in the Humor Division for Professional Photographers. In 2003 she won first place in Mammal Behavior in the Agfa All Africa photo competition. Mary has written a number of children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography. In 1999 Todtri published African Wildlife, and in 1999 we produced our first instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. I've won several times for highly commended images, 2nd place, and 1st place in both the Cemex/Nature's Best and the Agfa all Africa photo competitions. In 2003 I won 2nd place in the World in Our Hands category in the BBC competition with an image from Africa. In 2013 I won 1st place in Mammal Behavior with the jaguar image that introduces this brochure.
Mary and I were featured in the book, the World's Best Wildlife Photographers, and we have written columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and in several web magazines. Currently we are editors for Nature Photographer magazine, contributing an article each issue. Our latest book, Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output, is a PDF file that covers EVERYTHING you need to know about digital nature photography, including workflow, file management, RAW conversion, and maximizing the digital image. It is available directly through our office. We have produced one book to date on the Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal, but an ebook is in the works.
Sign up for our Constant Contact Newsletter to receive the latest information on our up coming tours and safaris, immediate opening offerings, and other news. We do not share this list with any other source.
Join us on Facebook at: Follow Hoot Hollow
Check out our latest website,
mcdonaldwildlifephotos.com
where we'll be constantly adding new portfolios!
Office Phone: (717) 543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
Background information: Ever since I've been going to the Pantanal various guides raved about the Southern Pantanal and urged me to visit the area. They said the wildlife opportunities were diverse and the shooting was wonderful, and a few years ago I finally made a scouting trip to the area and I, too, was very impressed. Two years ago we did our first Extension to the area, which proved equally successful, and had we had the chance we'd have booked spaces for the very next year. I'm very excited about this location for a variety of reasons, including the fact that we'll usually be in areas where we'll have the wildlife opportunities to ourselves.
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Photo Safari
We'll be visiting three locations in the southern division of this vast wetland, the Pantanal, during the dry season when wildlife is concentrated in the remaining wetlands and along the permanent river courses. In contrast to our northern Pantanal trips, we have much more freedom here for either individual or for group photography, as our time is not spent on skiffs looking for jaguars. Instead, some of our shooting and exploration will be from open vehicles, where we'll either shoot together or disembark to shoot in a particular area.
Caiman doing the 'bubble dance' or 'dancing water' display, a courtship
behavior where water shoots up like a fountain from the caiman.
Our Itinerary
Day 1. September 6.
Transfer to Cuiaba airport (the last day of our Jaguar shoot). We'll have lunch at the airport and have a late afternoon flight to Campo Grande. From there we'll drive to Jardim, the location of our first shoot, and we'll have a light dinner en route.
Overnight, Hotel Vitoria
Day 2. September 7.
After breakfast we'll head to the incredible sink hole where we'll be photographing Red and Blue Macaws as they fly about the cliffs, both above and below us. The shooting is exciting, as the birds are often close, and the shooting is challenging, too, as you'll discover! Afterwards we'll head to Fazenda San Francisco (FSF), having lunch along the way, possibly at an eco lodge where Red-legged Seriemas, Parakeets, and other birds are common and tame.
At FSF we'll do a catamaran boat ride for Yacare' Caiman and other wildlife, and after dinner we'll do a game drive for Ocelot.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 3-4. September 8 and 9.
AM Private excursions for Giant Anteaters and other wildlife. We'll have our own truck to drive the dirt tracks and around the canals. In the fields we'll have a good chance of finding Giant Anteater, and along the canals, birds and deer, especially Marsh Deer.
PM. Non-private outing on boats for Caiman, Jaguar, Birds, etc. The afternoon shoots can be rewarding, but it is our time later in the day that we're really looking forward to!
Evening: Private Excursions looking for Ocelot. We've seen as many as four Ocelots in one evening, and although most are less than ideal photo subjects, we usually get at least one that is a star. Last year, we had an Ocelot on a tree right beside the track, providing us with incredible shots.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 5. September 10.
After breakfast we'll head to our final destination, Posada Aguape (PA) where we'll have a variety of shooting options. We'll arrive in time for lunch, and in the mid-afternoon we'll do a game drive, looking for Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox, and other species.
After dinner we'll drive to a special 'fish cleaning area' where several habituated ocelots usually visit. We'll need flash, and we will prep participants on the best gear for this exciting option.
Overnight, PA.
Day 6-7. September 11 and 12.
We'll do game drives both AM and PM, likely photographing Jabiru Storks flying straight at us at eye-level, as well as Fox, Caimans, and whatever else we find. Pampas Deer, Yellow Armadillo, Tamandua, Giant Anteaters ... we've had all of these species here, as well as a variety of birds. This location is the only site for any recent observations of an extremely rare mammal, the Bush Dog. A good friend of mine actually photographed this animal here! After dinner we'll do night game drives, probably visiting Ocelot location at least once.
Overnights, PA.
Day 8. September 13.
After breakfast we'll head back to Campo Grande, having lunch en route. In the PM we'll depart for our flight to Sao Paulo, where most will make their connections for flights back to home.
Special Night Photography Option
Every year I set up camera traps using my flashes and Range IRs in an attempt to photograph ocelots, tapirs, or other nocturnal species. I will be happy to assist any of our participants who wishes to do the same, however, you will have to have your own equipment. I will provide a complete list of suggested gear for this, upon request. To date, no one has taken up this offer, and it does require extra effort and energy, since the set-ups are done in our 'spare time' mid-day, and armed right before dark. I'll discuss the pros and cons of this with anyone who is interested.
Birds and Wildlife
As stated above, there are scores of birds and many mammals and reptiles.The mammals we've seen on the last few trips include the following:
jaguar, ocelot, South American river or neotropical otter,
agouti, cabybara, coatimundi, crab-eating fox, brown capuchin monkey, red brocket deer, marsh deer, Pampas deer, various bats, yellow armadillo, giant anteater, southern tamandua.
The birds are truly too numerous to list completely,although the Macaws, the Velociraptor-like Red-legged Seriema, numerous Hawks, Striped Owls, songbirds, Parakeets, Ovenbirds or Horneros, and many, many more.
TRIP DETAILS AND PRICING
The Photo Tour begins and ends in Campo Grande, Matto Grosso Sur, Brazil. From Campo Grande we'll travel by land into the Pantanal to our various destinations.
In-country transportation with the group, all meals, and lodging (double occupancy) are included. If you miss the flight to Campo Grande with the group, our Brazilian tour company will provide the land transportation to our location in the Pantanal, however, you are responsible for that transportation cost, as well as any lodging or food costs incurred. We recommend participants who are joining us for this trip, and who are not continuing on from the Jaguar Wildlife Tour, should arrive in Sao Paulo early in order to make the connecting flight to Cuiaba or to Campo Grande (We will give specific instructions to anyone who are joining us only for this tour).
Tips for the English-speaking Brazilian guide and guides for our private outings are included, however participants usually add a little extra as a gratuity, although this is optional.
Meals are included, starting with breakfast on September 7 and ending with lunch on September 14.
Not Included:
International Airfare.
Domestic airfare to/from Campo Grande.
Additional fees for checked and/or Carry-on luggage.
Any additional lodging prior to or after the tour.
The following meals: lunch at the Cuiaba Airport (Sept. 6)
Dinner en route to Jardim (Sept. 6)
Dinner in Sao Paulo (Sept. 13)
Personal drinks throughout the tour
Laundry
Any gifts or additional amenities
Optional Flight Seeing Trip (see below)
Gratuities for Lodge Staff, Hotel Personnel
($10/day/per is recommended for the lodges - we'll have
5 nights at the two different lodges.
We'll have one night in the Hotel Vitoria in Jardim, so
you may wish to tip the room steward and luggage handlers.
Optional extra tip for the guides
The Photo Tour/Safari is limited to 10 participants. Please contact our office immediately if you are interested.
Optional Flight Seeing
At Posada Aguape a Flight Seeing option may be available. There is usually a pilot and plane stationed at the Lodge who charters flights of varying length. This is a great opportunity for seeing
Price: $4595
Single Supplement: $700
About Your Leaders
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough Photo Tour you will experience. We have been doing this together for 25 years, and I've been doing so for a few more years than that! We lead all of our photo tours and safaris, and we have been leading tours to the Pantanal for eight years.
I doubt if there isanother American-based photographer, and certainly no husband/wife photo team, with the amount of experience that we have leading photo tours to the Pantanal. This fact is relevant because we know the wildlife, we know behavior, and we know what will make a great photograph. We know when to stay and wait and we can honestly state that you'll get the majority of your best photographs when you are in our skiff.
Here is a perfect example. This Crane Hawk is a species that resembles the African Gymnogene, aka African Harrier Hawk, and hunts in exactly the same way. On our most recent trip we watched as several boats passed by, blandly noting 'a hawk' perched in a tree, nothing exciting. However, we knew this bird's behavior, which is quite interesting as it hovers at a cavity or nest hole, or hangs tight to a tree trunk, fishing for a baby bird, a lizard, or a frog hidden from view. We waited, and were treated to a wonderful view as the Hawk captured five different frogs in twenty minutes. Only one other skiff was there -- occupied by an experienced Pantanal film-maker.
Both Mary and I are naturalists and photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, Wildlife Conservation, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
In 1994 Mary Ann won two first place awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in Endangered Species and in Bird Behavior. In 1998 she had three highly commended images published in the BBC competition. She won first place in the Cemex/Nature's Best photo contest in the Humor Division for Professional Photographers. In 2003 she won first place in Mammal Behavior in the Agfa All Africa photo competition. Mary has written a number of children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography. In 1999 Todtri published African Wildlife, and in 1999 we produced our first instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. I've won several times for highly commended images, 2nd place, and 1st place in both the Cemex/Nature's Best and the Agfa all Africa photo competitions. In 2003 I won 2nd place in the World in Our Hands category in the BBC competition with an image from Africa. In 2013 I won 1st place in Mammal Behavior with the jaguar image that introduces this brochure.
Mary and I were featured in the book, the World's Best Wildlife Photographers, and we have written columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and in several web magazines. Currently we are editors for Nature Photographer magazine, contributing an article each issue. Our latest book, Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output, is a PDF file that covers EVERYTHING you need to know about digital nature photography, including workflow, file management, RAW conversion, and maximizing the digital image. It is available directly through our office. We have produced one book to date on the Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal, but an ebook is in the works.
Sign up for our Constant Contact Newsletter to receive the latest information on our up coming tours and safaris, immediate opening offerings, and other news. We do not share this list with any other source.
Join us on Facebook at: Follow Hoot Hollow
Check out our latest website,
mcdonaldwildlifephotos.com
where we'll be constantly adding new portfolios!
Office Phone: (717) 543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
Background information: Ever since I've been going to the Pantanal various guides raved about the Southern Pantanal and urged me to visit the area. They said the wildlife opportunities were diverse and the shooting was wonderful, and a few years ago I finally made a scouting trip to the area and I, too, was very impressed. Two years ago we did our first Extension to the area, which proved equally successful, and had we had the chance we'd have booked spaces for the very next year. I'm very excited about this location for a variety of reasons, including the fact that we'll usually be in areas where we'll have the wildlife opportunities to ourselves.
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Photo Safari
We'll be visiting three locations in the southern division of this vast wetland, the Pantanal, during the dry season when wildlife is concentrated in the remaining wetlands and along the permanent river courses. In contrast to our northern Pantanal trips, we have much more freedom here for either individual or for group photography, as our time is not spent on skiffs looking for jaguars. Instead, some of our shooting and exploration will be from open vehicles, where we'll either shoot together or disembark to shoot in a particular area.
Caiman doing the 'bubble dance' or 'dancing water' display, a courtship
behavior where water shoots up like a fountain from the caiman.
Our Itinerary
Day 1. September 6.
Transfer to Cuiaba airport (the last day of our Jaguar shoot). We'll have lunch at the airport and have a late afternoon flight to Campo Grande. From there we'll drive to Jardim, the location of our first shoot, and we'll have a light dinner en route.
Overnight, Hotel Vitoria
Day 2. September 7.
After breakfast we'll head to the incredible sink hole where we'll be photographing Red and Blue Macaws as they fly about the cliffs, both above and below us. The shooting is exciting, as the birds are often close, and the shooting is challenging, too, as you'll discover! Afterwards we'll head to Fazenda San Francisco (FSF), having lunch along the way, possibly at an eco lodge where Red-legged Seriemas, Parakeets, and other birds are common and tame.
At FSF we'll do a catamaran boat ride for Yacare' Caiman and other wildlife, and after dinner we'll do a game drive for Ocelot.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 3-4. September 8 and 9.
AM Private excursions for Giant Anteaters and other wildlife. We'll have our own truck to drive the dirt tracks and around the canals. In the fields we'll have a good chance of finding Giant Anteater, and along the canals, birds and deer, especially Marsh Deer.
PM. Non-private outing on boats for Caiman, Jaguar, Birds, etc. The afternoon shoots can be rewarding, but it is our time later in the day that we're really looking forward to!
Evening: Private Excursions looking for Ocelot. We've seen as many as four Ocelots in one evening, and although most are less than ideal photo subjects, we usually get at least one that is a star. Last year, we had an Ocelot on a tree right beside the track, providing us with incredible shots.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 5. September 10.
After breakfast we'll head to our final destination, Posada Aguape (PA) where we'll have a variety of shooting options. We'll arrive in time for lunch, and in the mid-afternoon we'll do a game drive, looking for Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox, and other species.
After dinner we'll drive to a special 'fish cleaning area' where several habituated ocelots usually visit. We'll need flash, and we will prep participants on the best gear for this exciting option.
Overnight, PA.
Day 6-7. September 11 and 12.
We'll do game drives both AM and PM, likely photographing Jabiru Storks flying straight at us at eye-level, as well as Fox, Caimans, and whatever else we find. Pampas Deer, Yellow Armadillo, Tamandua, Giant Anteaters ... we've had all of these species here, as well as a variety of birds. This location is the only site for any recent observations of an extremely rare mammal, the Bush Dog. A good friend of mine actually photographed this animal here! After dinner we'll do night game drives, probably visiting Ocelot location at least once.
Overnights, PA.
Day 8. September 13.
After breakfast we'll head back to Campo Grande, having lunch en route. In the PM we'll depart for our flight to Sao Paulo, where most will make their connections for flights back to home.
Special Night Photography Option
Every year I set up camera traps using my flashes and Range IRs in an attempt to photograph ocelots, tapirs, or other nocturnal species. I will be happy to assist any of our participants who wishes to do the same, however, you will have to have your own equipment. I will provide a complete list of suggested gear for this, upon request. To date, no one has taken up this offer, and it does require extra effort and energy, since the set-ups are done in our 'spare time' mid-day, and armed right before dark. I'll discuss the pros and cons of this with anyone who is interested.
Birds and Wildlife
As stated above, there are scores of birds and many mammals and reptiles.The mammals we've seen on the last few trips include the following:
jaguar, ocelot, South American river or neotropical otter,
agouti, cabybara, coatimundi, crab-eating fox, brown capuchin monkey, red brocket deer, marsh deer, Pampas deer, various bats, yellow armadillo, giant anteater, southern tamandua.
The birds are truly too numerous to list completely,although the Macaws, the Velociraptor-like Red-legged Seriema, numerous Hawks, Striped Owls, songbirds, Parakeets, Ovenbirds or Horneros, and many, many more.
TRIP DETAILS AND PRICING
The Photo Tour begins and ends in Campo Grande, Matto Grosso Sur, Brazil. From Campo Grande we'll travel by land into the Pantanal to our various destinations.
In-country transportation with the group, all meals, and lodging (double occupancy) are included. If you miss the flight to Campo Grande with the group, our Brazilian tour company will provide the land transportation to our location in the Pantanal, however, you are responsible for that transportation cost, as well as any lodging or food costs incurred. We recommend participants who are joining us for this trip, and who are not continuing on from the Jaguar Wildlife Tour, should arrive in Sao Paulo early in order to make the connecting flight to Cuiaba or to Campo Grande (We will give specific instructions to anyone who are joining us only for this tour).
Tips for the English-speaking Brazilian guide and guides for our private outings are included, however participants usually add a little extra as a gratuity, although this is optional.
Meals are included, starting with breakfast on September 7 and ending with lunch on September 14.
Not Included:
International Airfare.
Domestic airfare to/from Campo Grande.
Additional fees for checked and/or Carry-on luggage.
Any additional lodging prior to or after the tour.
The following meals: lunch at the Cuiaba Airport (Sept. 6)
Dinner en route to Jardim (Sept. 6)
Dinner in Sao Paulo (Sept. 13)
Personal drinks throughout the tour
Laundry
Any gifts or additional amenities
Optional Flight Seeing Trip (see below)
Gratuities for Lodge Staff, Hotel Personnel
($10/day/per is recommended for the lodges - we'll have
5 nights at the two different lodges.
We'll have one night in the Hotel Vitoria in Jardim, so
you may wish to tip the room steward and luggage handlers.
Optional extra tip for the guides
The Photo Tour/Safari is limited to 10 participants. Please contact our office immediately if you are interested.
Optional Flight Seeing
At Posada Aguape a Flight Seeing option may be available. There is usually a pilot and plane stationed at the Lodge who charters flights of varying length. This is a great opportunity for seeing
Price: $4595
Single Supplement: $700
About Your Leaders
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough Photo Tour you will experience. We have been doing this together for 25 years, and I've been doing so for a few more years than that! We lead all of our photo tours and safaris, and we have been leading tours to the Pantanal for eight years.
I doubt if there isanother American-based photographer, and certainly no husband/wife photo team, with the amount of experience that we have leading photo tours to the Pantanal. This fact is relevant because we know the wildlife, we know behavior, and we know what will make a great photograph. We know when to stay and wait and we can honestly state that you'll get the majority of your best photographs when you are in our skiff.
Here is a perfect example. This Crane Hawk is a species that resembles the African Gymnogene, aka African Harrier Hawk, and hunts in exactly the same way. On our most recent trip we watched as several boats passed by, blandly noting 'a hawk' perched in a tree, nothing exciting. However, we knew this bird's behavior, which is quite interesting as it hovers at a cavity or nest hole, or hangs tight to a tree trunk, fishing for a baby bird, a lizard, or a frog hidden from view. We waited, and were treated to a wonderful view as the Hawk captured five different frogs in twenty minutes. Only one other skiff was there -- occupied by an experienced Pantanal film-maker.
Both Mary and I are naturalists and photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, Wildlife Conservation, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
In 1994 Mary Ann won two first place awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in Endangered Species and in Bird Behavior. In 1998 she had three highly commended images published in the BBC competition. She won first place in the Cemex/Nature's Best photo contest in the Humor Division for Professional Photographers. In 2003 she won first place in Mammal Behavior in the Agfa All Africa photo competition. Mary has written a number of children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography. In 1999 Todtri published African Wildlife, and in 1999 we produced our first instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. I've won several times for highly commended images, 2nd place, and 1st place in both the Cemex/Nature's Best and the Agfa all Africa photo competitions. In 2003 I won 2nd place in the World in Our Hands category in the BBC competition with an image from Africa. In 2013 I won 1st place in Mammal Behavior with the jaguar image that introduces this brochure.
Mary and I were featured in the book, the World's Best Wildlife Photographers, and we have written columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and in several web magazines. Currently we are editors for Nature Photographer magazine, contributing an article each issue. Our latest book, Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output, is a PDF file that covers EVERYTHING you need to know about digital nature photography, including workflow, file management, RAW conversion, and maximizing the digital image. It is available directly through our office. We have produced one book to date on the Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal, but an ebook is in the works.
Sign up for our Constant Contact Newsletter to receive the latest information on our up coming tours and safaris, immediate opening offerings, and other news. We do not share this list with any other source.
Join us on Facebook at: Follow Hoot Hollow
Check out our latest website,
mcdonaldwildlifephotos.com
where we'll be constantly adding new portfolios!
Office Phone: (717) 543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
Background information: Ever since I've been going to the Pantanal various guides raved about the Southern Pantanal and urged me to visit the area. They said the wildlife opportunities were diverse and the shooting was wonderful, and a few years ago I finally made a scouting trip to the area and I, too, was very impressed. Two years ago we did our first Extension to the area, which proved equally successful, and had we had the chance we'd have booked spaces for the very next year. I'm very excited about this location for a variety of reasons, including the fact that we'll usually be in areas where we'll have the wildlife opportunities to ourselves.
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Photo Safari
We'll be visiting three locations in the southern division of this vast wetland, the Pantanal, during the dry season when wildlife is concentrated in the remaining wetlands and along the permanent river courses. In contrast to our northern Pantanal trips, we have much more freedom here for either individual or for group photography, as our time is not spent on skiffs looking for jaguars. Instead, some of our shooting and exploration will be from open vehicles, where we'll either shoot together or disembark to shoot in a particular area.
Caiman doing the 'bubble dance' or 'dancing water' display, a courtship
behavior where water shoots up like a fountain from the caiman.
Our Itinerary
Day 1. September 6.
Transfer to Cuiaba airport (the last day of our Jaguar shoot). We'll have lunch at the airport and have a late afternoon flight to Campo Grande. From there we'll drive to Jardim, the location of our first shoot, and we'll have a light dinner en route.
Overnight, Hotel Vitoria
Day 2. September 7.
After breakfast we'll head to the incredible sink hole where we'll be photographing Red and Blue Macaws as they fly about the cliffs, both above and below us. The shooting is exciting, as the birds are often close, and the shooting is challenging, too, as you'll discover! Afterwards we'll head to Fazenda San Francisco (FSF), having lunch along the way, possibly at an eco lodge where Red-legged Seriemas, Parakeets, and other birds are common and tame.
At FSF we'll do a catamaran boat ride for Yacare' Caiman and other wildlife, and after dinner we'll do a game drive for Ocelot.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 3-4. September 8 and 9.
AM Private excursions for Giant Anteaters and other wildlife. We'll have our own truck to drive the dirt tracks and around the canals. In the fields we'll have a good chance of finding Giant Anteater, and along the canals, birds and deer, especially Marsh Deer.
PM. Non-private outing on boats for Caiman, Jaguar, Birds, etc. The afternoon shoots can be rewarding, but it is our time later in the day that we're really looking forward to!
Evening: Private Excursions looking for Ocelot. We've seen as many as four Ocelots in one evening, and although most are less than ideal photo subjects, we usually get at least one that is a star. Last year, we had an Ocelot on a tree right beside the track, providing us with incredible shots.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 5. September 10.
After breakfast we'll head to our final destination, Posada Aguape (PA) where we'll have a variety of shooting options. We'll arrive in time for lunch, and in the mid-afternoon we'll do a game drive, looking for Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox, and other species.
After dinner we'll drive to a special 'fish cleaning area' where several habituated ocelots usually visit. We'll need flash, and we will prep participants on the best gear for this exciting option.
Overnight, PA.
Day 6-7. September 11 and 12.
We'll do game drives both AM and PM, likely photographing Jabiru Storks flying straight at us at eye-level, as well as Fox, Caimans, and whatever else we find. Pampas Deer, Yellow Armadillo, Tamandua, Giant Anteaters ... we've had all of these species here, as well as a variety of birds. This location is the only site for any recent observations of an extremely rare mammal, the Bush Dog. A good friend of mine actually photographed this animal here! After dinner we'll do night game drives, probably visiting Ocelot location at least once.
Overnights, PA.
Day 8. September 13.
After breakfast we'll head back to Campo Grande, having lunch en route. In the PM we'll depart for our flight to Sao Paulo, where most will make their connections for flights back to home.
Special Night Photography Option
Every year I set up camera traps using my flashes and Range IRs in an attempt to photograph ocelots, tapirs, or other nocturnal species. I will be happy to assist any of our participants who wishes to do the same, however, you will have to have your own equipment. I will provide a complete list of suggested gear for this, upon request. To date, no one has taken up this offer, and it does require extra effort and energy, since the set-ups are done in our 'spare time' mid-day, and armed right before dark. I'll discuss the pros and cons of this with anyone who is interested.
Birds and Wildlife
As stated above, there are scores of birds and many mammals and reptiles.The mammals we've seen on the last few trips include the following:
jaguar, ocelot, South American river or neotropical otter,
agouti, cabybara, coatimundi, crab-eating fox, brown capuchin monkey, red brocket deer, marsh deer, Pampas deer, various bats, yellow armadillo, giant anteater, southern tamandua.
The birds are truly too numerous to list completely,although the Macaws, the Velociraptor-like Red-legged Seriema, numerous Hawks, Striped Owls, songbirds, Parakeets, Ovenbirds or Horneros, and many, many more.
TRIP DETAILS AND PRICING
The Photo Tour begins and ends in Campo Grande, Matto Grosso Sur, Brazil. From Campo Grande we'll travel by land into the Pantanal to our various destinations.
In-country transportation with the group, all meals, and lodging (double occupancy) are included. If you miss the flight to Campo Grande with the group, our Brazilian tour company will provide the land transportation to our location in the Pantanal, however, you are responsible for that transportation cost, as well as any lodging or food costs incurred. We recommend participants who are joining us for this trip, and who are not continuing on from the Jaguar Wildlife Tour, should arrive in Sao Paulo early in order to make the connecting flight to Cuiaba or to Campo Grande (We will give specific instructions to anyone who are joining us only for this tour).
Tips for the English-speaking Brazilian guide and guides for our private outings are included, however participants usually add a little extra as a gratuity, although this is optional.
Meals are included, starting with breakfast on September 7 and ending with lunch on September 14.
Not Included:
International Airfare.
Domestic airfare to/from Campo Grande.
Additional fees for checked and/or Carry-on luggage.
Any additional lodging prior to or after the tour.
The following meals: lunch at the Cuiaba Airport (Sept. 6)
Dinner en route to Jardim (Sept. 6)
Dinner in Sao Paulo (Sept. 13)
Personal drinks throughout the tour
Laundry
Any gifts or additional amenities
Optional Flight Seeing Trip (see below)
Gratuities for Lodge Staff, Hotel Personnel
($10/day/per is recommended for the lodges - we'll have
5 nights at the two different lodges.
We'll have one night in the Hotel Vitoria in Jardim, so
you may wish to tip the room steward and luggage handlers.
Optional extra tip for the guides
The Photo Tour/Safari is limited to 10 participants. Please contact our office immediately if you are interested.
Optional Flight Seeing
At Posada Aguape a Flight Seeing option may be available. There is usually a pilot and plane stationed at the Lodge who charters flights of varying length. This is a great opportunity for seeing
Price: $4595
Single Supplement: $700
About Your Leaders
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough Photo Tour you will experience. We have been doing this together for 25 years, and I've been doing so for a few more years than that! We lead all of our photo tours and safaris, and we have been leading tours to the Pantanal for eight years.
I doubt if there isanother American-based photographer, and certainly no husband/wife photo team, with the amount of experience that we have leading photo tours to the Pantanal. This fact is relevant because we know the wildlife, we know behavior, and we know what will make a great photograph. We know when to stay and wait and we can honestly state that you'll get the majority of your best photographs when you are in our skiff.
Here is a perfect example. This Crane Hawk is a species that resembles the African Gymnogene, aka African Harrier Hawk, and hunts in exactly the same way. On our most recent trip we watched as several boats passed by, blandly noting 'a hawk' perched in a tree, nothing exciting. However, we knew this bird's behavior, which is quite interesting as it hovers at a cavity or nest hole, or hangs tight to a tree trunk, fishing for a baby bird, a lizard, or a frog hidden from view. We waited, and were treated to a wonderful view as the Hawk captured five different frogs in twenty minutes. Only one other skiff was there -- occupied by an experienced Pantanal film-maker.
Both Mary and I are naturalists and photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, Wildlife Conservation, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
In 1994 Mary Ann won two first place awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in Endangered Species and in Bird Behavior. In 1998 she had three highly commended images published in the BBC competition. She won first place in the Cemex/Nature's Best photo contest in the Humor Division for Professional Photographers. In 2003 she won first place in Mammal Behavior in the Agfa All Africa photo competition. Mary has written a number of children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography. In 1999 Todtri published African Wildlife, and in 1999 we produced our first instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. I've won several times for highly commended images, 2nd place, and 1st place in both the Cemex/Nature's Best and the Agfa all Africa photo competitions. In 2003 I won 2nd place in the World in Our Hands category in the BBC competition with an image from Africa. In 2013 I won 1st place in Mammal Behavior with the jaguar image that introduces this brochure.
Mary and I were featured in the book, the World's Best Wildlife Photographers, and we have written columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and in several web magazines. Currently we are editors for Nature Photographer magazine, contributing an article each issue. Our latest book, Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output, is a PDF file that covers EVERYTHING you need to know about digital nature photography, including workflow, file management, RAW conversion, and maximizing the digital image. It is available directly through our office. We have produced one book to date on the Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal, but an ebook is in the works.
Sign up for our Constant Contact Newsletter to receive the latest information on our up coming tours and safaris, immediate opening offerings, and other news. We do not share this list with any other source.
Join us on Facebook at: Follow Hoot Hollow
Check out our latest website,
mcdonaldwildlifephotos.com
where we'll be constantly adding new portfolios!
The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
The Wildlife of Brazil's Southern Pantanal
Photo Safari and Tour Brochure
An incredible area with a huge diversity of wildlife
Whether you are adding this trip on as an extension to our Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal Wildlife Photo Tour, or doing this as a stand-alone excursion, you won't be disappointed. There is such a diversity of wildlife in the Southern Pantanal that a trip solely to here would be immensely worthwhile.
Although the wildlife is diverse, several subjects truly stand out. Giant Anteaters are frequently seen and fairly easy to photograph, making this reason enough to visit this area. We've never missed on seeing and photographing Ocelot, and we'll have an opportunity to do so at two different locations. Species like the Crab-eating Fox and Pampas Deer are most easily seen here (or only seen here!), and the bird photography is excellent. We'll be visiting a grotto where Red and Blue Macaws roost and fly about, making for some challenging photography but some exquisite images when successful.
Marsh deer diving into a canal - composite.
Three facts to consider before you read on:
1. We were the first US company to offer trips to the Pantanal specifically for jaguars.
2. We use several lodges to maximize your photography of all the wildlife species. The Pantanal is more than just Jaguars!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we know the wildlife. We know when there is interesting behaviour to be waiting for, when to wait and when to go. You are with experienced Naturalists when you are with us. An example is given further in the brochure (see About Your Leaders) or in any number of our trip reports.
Each trip is
limited to 10 participants.
Price includes lodging with double occupancy,
all meals,
and transportation throughout the southern Pantanal.
Price does not include lodging prior to official trip dates
or transportation/flights to/from Brazil
We will be offering two Jaguar trips in 2016 as well.
Aug 16 - 26, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #1
$7495 (SS $860)
Aug 27 - Sept 6, 2016 Brazil's Pantanal:
Quest for the Jaguars #2
$7495 (SS $969) FLOTEL option available
Night Photography Options!
For those that are interested, there is also the possibility
of nocturnal camera-trap photography. Details provided
upon inquiry.
Check out our book Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal
For an even better idea of what to expect, check out our trip reports.
2012 and 2014 Trip Reports or check out all of our previous trips HERE.
Read any or all of our previous trip reports.
Background information: Ever since I've been going to the Pantanal various guides raved about the Southern Pantanal and urged me to visit the area. They said the wildlife opportunities were diverse and the shooting was wonderful, and a few years ago I finally made a scouting trip to the area and I, too, was very impressed. Two years ago we did our first Extension to the area, which proved equally successful, and had we had the chance we'd have booked spaces for the very next year. I'm very excited about this location for a variety of reasons, including the fact that we'll usually be in areas where we'll have the wildlife opportunities to ourselves.
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Photo Safari
We'll be visiting three locations in the southern division of this vast wetland, the Pantanal, during the dry season when wildlife is concentrated in the remaining wetlands and along the permanent river courses. In contrast to our northern Pantanal trips, we have much more freedom here for either individual or for group photography, as our time is not spent on skiffs looking for jaguars. Instead, some of our shooting and exploration will be from open vehicles, where we'll either shoot together or disembark to shoot in a particular area.
Caiman doing the 'bubble dance' or 'dancing water' display, a courtship
behavior where water shoots up like a fountain from the caiman.
Our Itinerary
Day 1. September 6.
Transfer to Cuiaba airport (the last day of our Jaguar shoot). We'll have lunch at the airport and have a late afternoon flight to Campo Grande. From there we'll drive to Jardim, the location of our first shoot, and we'll have a light dinner en route.
Overnight, Hotel Vitoria
Day 2. September 7.
After breakfast we'll head to the incredible sink hole where we'll be photographing Red and Blue Macaws as they fly about the cliffs, both above and below us. The shooting is exciting, as the birds are often close, and the shooting is challenging, too, as you'll discover! Afterwards we'll head to Fazenda San Francisco (FSF), having lunch along the way, possibly at an eco lodge where Red-legged Seriemas, Parakeets, and other birds are common and tame.
At FSF we'll do a catamaran boat ride for Yacare' Caiman and other wildlife, and after dinner we'll do a game drive for Ocelot.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 3-4. September 8 and 9.
AM Private excursions for Giant Anteaters and other wildlife. We'll have our own truck to drive the dirt tracks and around the canals. In the fields we'll have a good chance of finding Giant Anteater, and along the canals, birds and deer, especially Marsh Deer.
PM. Non-private outing on boats for Caiman, Jaguar, Birds, etc. The afternoon shoots can be rewarding, but it is our time later in the day that we're really looking forward to!
Evening: Private Excursions looking for Ocelot. We've seen as many as four Ocelots in one evening, and although most are less than ideal photo subjects, we usually get at least one that is a star. Last year, we had an Ocelot on a tree right beside the track, providing us with incredible shots.
Overnights, FSF.
Day 5. September 10.
After breakfast we'll head to our final destination, Posada Aguape (PA) where we'll have a variety of shooting options. We'll arrive in time for lunch, and in the mid-afternoon we'll do a game drive, looking for Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Crab-eating Fox, and other species.
After dinner we'll drive to a special 'fish cleaning area' where several habituated ocelots usually visit. We'll need flash, and we will prep participants on the best gear for this exciting option.
Overnight, PA.
Day 6-7. September 11 and 12.
We'll do game drives both AM and PM, likely photographing Jabiru Storks flying straight at us at eye-level, as well as Fox, Caimans, and whatever else we find. Pampas Deer, Yellow Armadillo, Tamandua, Giant Anteaters ... we've had all of these species here, as well as a variety of birds. This location is the only site for any recent observations of an extremely rare mammal, the Bush Dog. A good friend of mine actually photographed this animal here! After dinner we'll do night game drives, probably visiting Ocelot location at least once.
Overnights, PA.
Day 8. September 13.
After breakfast we'll head back to Campo Grande, having lunch en route. In the PM we'll depart for our flight to Sao Paulo, where most will make their connections for flights back to home.
Special Night Photography Option
Every year I set up camera traps using my flashes and Range IRs in an attempt to photograph ocelots, tapirs, or other nocturnal species. I will be happy to assist any of our participants who wishes to do the same, however, you will have to have your own equipment. I will provide a complete list of suggested gear for this, upon request. To date, no one has taken up this offer, and it does require extra effort and energy, since the set-ups are done in our 'spare time' mid-day, and armed right before dark. I'll discuss the pros and cons of this with anyone who is interested.
Birds and Wildlife
As stated above, there are scores of birds and many mammals and reptiles.The mammals we've seen on the last few trips include the following:
jaguar, ocelot, South American river or neotropical otter,
agouti, cabybara, coatimundi, crab-eating fox, brown capuchin monkey, red brocket deer, marsh deer, Pampas deer, various bats, yellow armadillo, giant anteater, southern tamandua.
The birds are truly too numerous to list completely,although the Macaws, the Velociraptor-like Red-legged Seriema, numerous Hawks, Striped Owls, songbirds, Parakeets, Ovenbirds or Horneros, and many, many more.
TRIP DETAILS AND PRICING
The Photo Tour begins and ends in Campo Grande, Matto Grosso Sur, Brazil. From Campo Grande we'll travel by land into the Pantanal to our various destinations.
In-country transportation with the group, all meals, and lodging (double occupancy) are included. If you miss the flight to Campo Grande with the group, our Brazilian tour company will provide the land transportation to our location in the Pantanal, however, you are responsible for that transportation cost, as well as any lodging or food costs incurred. We recommend participants who are joining us for this trip, and who are not continuing on from the Jaguar Wildlife Tour, should arrive in Sao Paulo early in order to make the connecting flight to Cuiaba or to Campo Grande (We will give specific instructions to anyone who are joining us only for this tour).
Tips for the English-speaking Brazilian guide and guides for our private outings are included, however participants usually add a little extra as a gratuity, although this is optional.
Meals are included, starting with breakfast on September 7 and ending with lunch on September 14.
Not Included:
International Airfare.
Domestic airfare to/from Campo Grande.
Additional fees for checked and/or Carry-on luggage.
Any additional lodging prior to or after the tour.
The following meals: lunch at the Cuiaba Airport (Sept. 6)
Dinner en route to Jardim (Sept. 6)
Dinner in Sao Paulo (Sept. 13)
Personal drinks throughout the tour
Laundry
Any gifts or additional amenities
Optional Flight Seeing Trip (see below)
Gratuities for Lodge Staff, Hotel Personnel
($10/day/per is recommended for the lodges - we'll have
5 nights at the two different lodges.
We'll have one night in the Hotel Vitoria in Jardim, so
you may wish to tip the room steward and luggage handlers.
Optional extra tip for the guides
The Photo Tour/Safari is limited to 10 participants. Please contact our office immediately if you are interested.
Optional Flight Seeing
At Posada Aguape a Flight Seeing option may be available. There is usually a pilot and plane stationed at the Lodge who charters flights of varying length. This is a great opportunity for seeing
Price: $4595
Single Supplement: $700
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough Photo Tour you will experience. We have been doing this together for 25 years, and I've been doing so for a few more years than that! We lead all of our photo tours and safaris, and we have been leading tours to the Pantanal for eight years.
I doubt if there isanother American-based photographer, and certainly no husband/wife photo team, with the amount of experience that we have leading photo tours to the Pantanal. This fact is relevant because we know the wildlife, we know behavior, and we know what will make a great photograph. We know when to stay and wait and we can honestly state that you'll get the majority of your best photographs when you are in our skiff.
Here is a perfect example. This Crane Hawk is a species that resembles the African Gymnogene, aka African Harrier Hawk, and hunts in exactly the same way. On our most recent trip we watched as several boats passed by, blandly noting 'a hawk' perched in a tree, nothing exciting. However, we knew this bird's behavior, which is quite interesting as it hovers at a cavity or nest hole, or hangs tight to a tree trunk, fishing for a baby bird, a lizard, or a frog hidden from view. We waited, and were treated to a wonderful view as the Hawk captured five different frogs in twenty minutes. Only one other skiff was there -- occupied by an experienced Pantanal film-maker.
Both Mary and I are naturalists and photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included Audubon, National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, Wildlife Conservation, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
In 1994 Mary Ann won two first place awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in Endangered Species and in Bird Behavior. In 1998 she had three highly commended images published in the BBC competition. She won first place in the Cemex/Nature's Best photo contest in the Humor Division for Professional Photographers. In 2003 she won first place in Mammal Behavior in the Agfa All Africa photo competition. Mary has written a number of children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography. In 1999 Todtri published African Wildlife, and in 1999 we produced our first instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. I've won several times for highly commended images, 2nd place, and 1st place in both the Cemex/Nature's Best and the Agfa all Africa photo competitions. In 2003 I won 2nd place in the World in Our Hands category in the BBC competition with an image from Africa. In 2013 I won 1st place in Mammal Behavior with the jaguar image that introduces this brochure.
Mary and I were featured in the book, the World's Best Wildlife Photographers, and we have written columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and in several web magazines. Currently we are editors for Nature Photographer magazine, contributing an article each issue. Our latest book, Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output, is a PDF file that covers EVERYTHING you need to know about digital nature photography, including workflow, file management, RAW conversion, and maximizing the digital image. It is available directly through our office. We have produced one book to date on the Jaguars and the Wildlife of the Pantanal, but an ebook is in the works.
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where we'll be constantly adding new portfolios!
Office Phone: (717) 543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
