Pantanal - The Last Great Remaining Wetland in the World!

The Pantanal lies in the central western Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Its total area is some 239,000 sq. kms (92,000 sq. miles) with 139,000 sq. kms (54,000 sq. miles) within Brazil.<!--break-->

Thus in total it is slightly larger than Romania in Europe and nearly as large as the state of Michigan in the USA. That part within Brazil is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas in the USA.

Although the word " pantano " means swamp in both Spanish and Portuguese, the Pantanal is not a swamp, although it may appear to be one at certain times of the year. It is in fact a vast alluvial plain with a slight north-south gradient. It provides a gigantic natural control mechanism for the flood waters resulting from the torrential rain during the wet period, which is usually from the end of October to the end of April.

Soon after the rain starts the rivers overflow, not only the great Paraguay River, which flows from the north through the western Pantanal forming the border between Brazil and its two neighbours, Bolivia and Paraguay, but also its tributaries such as the São Lourenço, Cuiabá, Taquari, Miranda, Negro and Aquidauana, which flow west through the Pantanal area to the Paraguay River.

The water spreads out until the entire area is deluged to a depth of up to 3 or 4 metres (10 to 13 ft) except for the characteristic vegetation islands called cordilheiras.

The " dry " period usually starts at the end of April and lasts until October. As the temperature rises the river levels drop, the flood waters recede and evaporate until much of the Pantanal becomes a huge grassy plain on which the cattle are driven for fattening up for market. There are still many areas where there are lakes, lagoons and saline pools, but these gradually diminish in size.

Ranching in the Pantanal

The Pantanal Matogrossense National Park is in public ownership and administered by IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental government agency authority.
The area is divided up into vast ranches where raising cattle and horses is the main economic activity.

Fishing is another economic activity, both for the table and, above all, for recreational purposes. Only fishing lines with hooks are permitted and 30kg is the maximum catch per person. The variety of fish is great including dorado, fresh-water skate, piranha, pintado and pacu - all excellent eating fish.

Wildlife in the Pantanal

As the last great remaining wetland in the world, the wildlife in the Pantanal is truly amazing and it is very conspicuous compared to other areas in Brazil and elsewhere in South America.

Birds

The Pantanal is a paradise for ornithologists. As there are believed to be nearly 700 species of birds there, it would be impossible to include them all here, but you will see many of the following:

Anhinga, Black Vulture, Buff-necked Ibis, Chacalaca, Crested Screamer, Curassow, Herons, Horned Screamer, Jabiru Stork, Ovenbird, Kingfishers, Muscovy Duck, Orange-backed Oriole, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-throated Piping Guan, Rhea, Roseate, Seriema, Southern Lapwing, Snowy Egret, Stork, Toco Toucan, Woodpecker.

One of the most spectacular sights in the Pantanal is that of the rookeries on communal nesting trees. There may be many thousands of aquatic birds there with different species occupying different levels in the trees. Quite separate from these are the night roosting sites, which also provide shelter for many thousands of these birds.

Raptors

With so many bird species as well as much other prey such as snails, frogs and fish there are also many raptors, many specialist, such as Caracara, Falcons, Hawks, Savannah Hawk, Black-collared Hawk, Eagles, Kites.

Parrots

There are 15 species of parrots in the Pantanal. The open landscape means that parrots are more conspicuous than elsewhere in the world where one often only hears a whirr of wings or a flash of colour accompanied by a screech. Pantanal is one of the best location to see parrots in the wild.
The species are:
Blaze-winged Conure, Blue and Yellow Macaw, Blue-fronted Amazon, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Canary-winged Parakeet, Green-cheeked Conure, Green-winged Macaw, Hyacinthine Macaw, Monk Parakeet, Nanday Conure, Peach-fronted Conure, Red-shouldered Macaw, Scaly-headed Parrot, Yellow-collared Macaw, Yellow-faced Amazon.

Reptiles

Alligator, Anaconda, Caiman Lizard and more.

Mammals

There are believed to be nearly 70 species of mammal in the Pantanal including Agouti, Armadillo, Capybara, Coati, Fishing bat, Giant anteater, Giant otter, Howler monkey, Maned wolf, Marsh deer, Monkey, Jaguar, Ocelot, Peccary, Porcupine, Tapir.

How to get Here and Where to Go

The Pantanal is accessible via Cuiabá, the capital of the state of Mato Grosso.

Cuiabá is well served by air as well as overnight confortable shuttle buses departing from anywhere in Brazil.  There are a number of vehicle rental companies at the airport and in the city centre.

There are a number of ranches (fazendas), which can provide accommodation and food in styles ranging from basic to comfortable. Some of them have restaurant and air-conditioning.

Try to visit the local markets before you leave for the Pantanal. It has an excellent collection of native artifacts. You can buy very reasonably priced local handicrafts if you shop around.