The Jaguars of Pantanal
Join me for a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife photography workshop in Brazil, where you’ll experience the ultimate adventure in the heart of Pantanal Matogrossense National Park. Nowhere else on Earth can you find such a large concentration of wild Jaguars, one of the most elusive and secretive big cats. July is an ideal time to visit this region, as the dry season is in full swing. This limits the number of wading pools deep in the jungle, providing ample reason for the Jaguars to come to the banks of the river to explore, hunt, sleep, and relax. Throughout this workshop, you will experience 10 Jaguar safaris along the rivers of Brazil.
Trip Dates
September 8th – 14th, 2027
Tuition Costs
$8650
Group Size
8 (Max)
Difficulty Level
Easy
Sony Sponsored Workshop
The Jaguars of Pantanal, Brazil
The wildlife photography workshop in Brazil starts in the town of Cuiabá, located in the State of Mato Grosso. Here, you will be picked up early in the morning from a hotel just outside the airport and driven to Porto Jofre, where we will stay for the first five nights of this wildlife adventure. Every day we will head out to explore the Pantanal by boat in search of Jaguars and other wildlife. This includes a minimum of 8 hours of safari each day, split between morning and late-afternoon adventures. From there, we head further inland, where we spend one night looking for Ocelots, anteaters, and other birds in an area known as Santa Teresa.
In addition to photographing these incredible big cats, you will also have the opportunity to photograph: Giant River Otters, Capybara, Caiman, Multiple Kinds of Herons, Multiple kinds of Kingfishers, Tucans, Jabiru, Tapir, Ocelots, an assortment of monkey species, and a whole lot more!
What is Included?
- All Ground Transportation
- All Accommodations
- All Local Guides & Permits
- All Main Meals
What is Not Included?
- All Flights
- Visas to Enter Brazil
- Snacks & Alcohol
- All Tips for Local Guides & Drivers
Reserve a Spot Now!
* please read the workshop F.A.Q. section on this page to learn more about visiting Brazil and check out our cancellation policies if you have any questions.
Areas to Explore
- Cuiabá
- Pantanal
- Porto Joffre
- and much more...
Join the Workshop Waitlist to learn more about any upcoming adventures...
Join the Workshop Waitlist to learn more about any upcoming adventures...
Sony Sponsored Workshop Details
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
For nearly a decade, I’ve led photography expeditions throughout South America and the Pantanal, hand-selecting the region’s finest boat drivers, local trackers, and comfortable lodges. After years as a photography instructor for National Geographic in South America and running over 20 global workshops annually (year after year), I designed this trip to put you in the right place at the right time for unforgettable wildlife encounters.
Beyond getting you in front of wild jaguars, my primary focus is elevating your craft. I use an organic teaching approach that combines field technique, creative vision, and hands-on guidance. You won’t just walk away with an incredible portfolio of images—you’ll gain practical skills, instincts, and photographic confidence that stay with you long after the journey ends.
The workshop starts on September 8th, 2027, in Cuiabá, Brazil (CGB). Please arrive a day early, as the workshop begins early on the 8th. If you do plan on arriving early, we recommend the following hotel:
The workshop concludes on September 14th, 2027. If you can get a flight that leaves at 4 pm or later, you will be fine. Otherwise, stay an extra night to be safe. Please confirm your flight times with us before you buy.
You fly into the Marechal Rondon International Airport (CGB) in Cuiaba, Brazil.
Yes. It is required that you purchase travel insurance for this workshop. Why? Because things can happen when you travel internationally, whether it’s a simple disruption like a delayed flight or lost luggage. On top of that, a last minute cancelation, even for a medical emergency, would mean a complete loss on the cost of the trip if you don’t have travel insurance to help you recover some of those costs. Travel Insurance is always a good idea for an expensive trip like this.
We highly recommend either World Nomads or Insured Nomads.
Please check with your embassy or the State Department to confirm whether you need a visa to enter Brazil. Many nationalities can apply for an e-visa online HERE at the official government website.
We will be spending most of our time in the Porto Joffre region of the Pantanal, which is home to a large number of Jaguars. Our main hotel is located right on the river, giving us easy and fast access to the extensive river systems in the region. Rooms are based on double occupancy, include an air conditioner, hot showers, and provide all breakfast, lunch, and dinners for our entire group.
The Jaguars of the Pantanal region of Brazil are tied to the rivers and streams that flow throughout the region. Here, they hunt, rest, mate, and raise their young. Because of this, we will have our own private boat to move us through the area’s river systems as we photograph as much wildlife as we can.
This workshop is rated Easy and suits photographers of nearly all fitness levels.
Most of our photography takes place from private, shaded safari boats and safari vehicles, so there is minimal strenuous hiking or trekking. You will need to be comfortable stepping in and out of boats, managing your own camera gear, and spending up to 8 hours a day on the river (split between morning and late-afternoon sessions) in warm, humid weather. Aside from handling long days in the field and staying hydrated, the physical demands are very light.
While our main focus will be photographing Jaguars, the Pantanal region of Brazil is incredibly diverse. You will have plenty of opportunities to see caimans, capybaras, egrets, herons, a variety of kingfishers, river otters, toucans, blue macaws, jabiru, coatis, anteaters, tapirs, spoonbills, a variety of monkeys, and much, much more!
This workshop focuses on wildlife, so you’ll want to bring fast telephoto lenses. I highly recommend bringing something that covers the 200-600mm range, if possible. You can get away with a 70-200, but you will have to crop fairly extensively into your images.
As a Sony Ambassador, this is what you will find in my gear bag:
- Sony a1 II
- Sony a7R VI
- Sony 100-400 f/4.5 GM
- Sony 600mm f/4 GM or f/6.3 GM
Also note that while our clients have camera gear from Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, and others, this workshop is sponsored by Sony, so you can request FREE Sony loaner camera gear (limited to 1 camera and 1 lens). Please reach out to us if you have any questions about this service!
To learn more about Colby Brown Photography workshops in general, please visit our FAQ page…
Meet Your Instructors & Guides
Colby Brown
Owner/Photographer/Author
Colby Brown is a photographer, photo educator and author based out of Eastern Pennsylvania. Specializing in wildlife, landscape and travel photography, his photographic portfolio spans the four corners of the globe and all 7 continents. Not too long after picking up his first digital camera in 2006, Colby was leading workshops for National Geographic in South America, further spurring his love for both travel and photo education. In 2011, he founded The Giving Lens, an organization that blends photo education with support for various non-governmental organizations (NGO) and causes around the world, such as child education, clean drinking water projects, and women’s rights.
Testimonials
I had the pleasure to attend this workshop in Brazil with Colby and I'm very happy to have been able to. On the first day at Porto Jofre we had 10 jaguar sightings and it only got better from there!
Our guides were very knowledgeable with the local wildlife(...)
This was my first workshop with Colby, and I cannot recommend it enough. I love wildlife, and watching majestic jaguars from a boat was just spectacular. Everything about the trip was perfect, from the accommodations to the photos I brought home. Colby is a(...)
I went with Colby to observe jaguars in the Pantanal region in August 2025.
I’ve had the opportunity to do several workshops in my life, but this one exceeded my expectations. I took some of the best photos of my life.
Colby helped me a lot with my camera(...)
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Cancellation & Refund Policy
No one wants to miss out on a trip of a life time…but things do happen. In those situations, the following applies…
The first thing to note is that deposits are not refundable, but they are transferable. In addition, all cancellations are subject to a minimum of a $150 service charge to cover PayPal transaction fees. In most situations, we ask for the remaining balance of a workshop is to be paid 120 days from the start of the workshop in question. If you wish to cancel within 120 days from the start of a workshop and we find someone to fill your spot, you would be entitled to receive a refund (minus your deposit and the $150 processing fee) or transfer to another workshop with no penalties or fees.
If we don’t find someone to fill your spot, what does your refund window actually look like?
120 Days or More...
Your deposit will be transferable to another Colby Brown Photography Workshop without issue.
90 to 120 Days
You will receive a refund of 50% of the full tuition fees minus the non-refundable deposit.
Less Than 90 Days...
If you wish to cancel within 90 days of your workshop starting, you are not entitled to a refund.
