Pantanal North: Alligators!

James and I came down from Cuiabá to the small city of Poconé, where we stayed at Kilometer Zero of the Transpantaneira Highway. We took two tours of the area. The first was hosted by the Pousada Rio Clara, 35 kilometers/15 miles away. We first took a two-hour boat ride, and had lunch. Although the “alligator gets fish on a stick” series shown in the photos below was definitely gimmicky, it was an excellent way to see the animal up close! The trick was repeated with a heron, who swooped down to catch the piranha.
In the afternoon, we went for a walk through a Pantanal “higher ground” forest. I was fascinated by all aspects of the vegetation in its dry season. Overall, the animal life was more plentiful and easier to view than in the southern Pantanal.Read more