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Focus on Brazil


Brazil is a vast country with several distinctly different biomes. Discover them all with Focus Tours: Brazil

Focus on Argentina

The 8th largest country in the world, Argentina offers a wealth of experiences. From the subtropical rain forests of Iguazú Falls to the high Andes. Discover more with Focus Tours: Argentina 

Focus on Bolivia

Bolivia, nestled between Brazil, Peru, Chile and Paraguay, is the poorest and least developed country in South America, but also biologically and culturally the richest, safest and friendliest. Discover more with Focus Tours: Bolivia

Focus on Chile

Chile is the only truly temperate country in the Neotropics, and occupies more degrees of latitude than any other nation worldwide. Perhaps it is not surprising that Chile offers several extremes of the natural world. Discover more with Focus Tours: Chile

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Jaguar Tours

The northern Pantanal is the richest area in the world for spotting Jaguars in the wild and, our naturalist guides are some of the best. Together with our boatmen we can take you into the best areas for jaguars and many other creatures. Read more about Jaguar Tours.

Bird Watching Tours

Douglas Trent is a scientist, bird watcher and wildlife photographer and his be operating Bird Watcing Tours for around two decades now. The tour possibilities in South America are many. Read more about Bird Watching Tours.

Wildlife Photography Tours

Douglas Trent is a wildlife photographer and guides groups of professional, or enthusiastc amateur, photographers and film crews on focused wildlife tours. Read more about Wildlife Photography Tours 

Funding Conservation

 

A percentage of our profits has been funding in-country conservation projects since 1981. They directly benefit the local communities we visit and, when possible, are self-sustable, generating benefits long after our initial donation. Your visit will benefit you, the environment and your hosts.

Jaguar Tours

 

 

There are two best areas for seeing jaguars, both in Mato Grosso.  

The Porto Jofre region is getting the most press and mass jaguar tourism, but in our opinion, does not offer the best way to see a jaguar.  You will be there with 30+ boats, connected by radios.  When one is seen, you and the other 30+ boats will rush to where the jaguar is.  If the jaguar leaves, they often open their sack lunches, and tell clients that the cat will return, so you will stay waiting on the far shore from where the jaguar was last seen. Most of the time, however, it does not return.  This strategy reduces fuel costs, and increases profits, but is not done to help the client, and not our idea of how to manage the wonderful experience of seeing a jaguar in the wild.

The other and best option is on the Paraguay River from Caceres.  Here there are fisherman, and we have been doing jaguar, otter and bird population research since 2005.  There may be one or two other boats looking for wildlife, but they are our friends.  We all work together to help all our clients find jaguars. Still, we are often all alone with the animals when we find them.  At least one of the days we will do an expedition to the other end of the Taiama Ecological Station, and another 45km further south, covering some 300+km by boat.  We take lunch with us...a gas grill for the steaks, chicken, fish and vegetables, served with tables and chairs in a small clearing on the edge of the river in this remote region.  We will ask you what drinks you want in the boat cooler long before you arrive, so you will find what you want when you reach in!  This is without a doubt the best way to see a jaguar!

The Taiamã Ecological Station is part of Brazil’s federally protected areas, which include National Parks, Biological Reserves and Ecological Stations.  Instituto Chico Mendes (ICMBio) is the equivalent of the National Parks Department in other countries. 

Douglas Trent (Founder of Focus Tours), is an ecological scientist, and has been researching jaguars both north and south of the reserve since 2005.  With the 72 jaguars he has documented in a 350km stretch of river, this is the other the richest region for jaguars.  Males in the Amazon and forests of Central America need 75 sq. km each, with female using half of this.   So, having at least 72 on the river edge in 350km, is astounding! 

In 2008 ICMBio proposed a partnership to be able to use his research data to help increase the size of the reserve.  His is finding new jaguars on each tour, thus, traveling here with Focus Tours helps preserve the species as well. 

With the 72 individuals now documented, however, it is apparent that while all of these use this part of the Pantanal, they cannot possibly all be there all the time, and thus they are using other parts of the Pantanal as well.  With the Pantanal Wildlife Program, he is able to continue his research with monthly researh trips using the Bichos do Pantanal research boat. We invite you to visit this Program, and assist in the fauna surveys.

To book ar Jaguar Tour see the Tour Agenda for dates  or make and Inquiry