From Jag to Riches
Yesterday, one jag sighting and it was wonderful.
Today, rich with four jaguar sightings, each one amazing. Two females, two males; all on land and one swimming. All far apart on three different rivers and tributaries. One was hunting but failing, one relaxing, one in the bush, two in the open. Adrenalin pumped for me as the morning wore on beginning cool but clear (unlike yesterday) and evolving to very sunny and very hot. We left at 6:45 and were back at Jaguar Retreat by 12:15 for lunch.
Long pants, long sleeved shirt, floppy “Tilly” hat, lots of sunscreen on exposed skin save me from damage but fail to keep me cool except when we are motoring at high speed upon hearing of a jaguar sighting via radio. At one point, there are seventeen boats clustered around a single jaguar sighting but the mayhem is manageable. Some of the boats are lightly loaded as is ours while others are jammed with fourteen passengers jockeying for viewing positions. Later, we are the only voyeur. Each event brought its own insight and enjoyment. When crowded with other boats and other tourists, the enthusiasm is infectious and the boat drivers jockey in a gentlemanly fashion (all are males) at times hopscotching in front of each other with the rearmost hoping forward becoming the leader as the big cat walked the shore.
The only problem—and there could have been many—came from two smaller boats, each with two stroke 40 horsepower Yahama motors spewing blue smoky exhaust downwind. All the rest of us have higher horsepower four stroke Yamaha motors—90 to 125 horsepower—which run cleaner and more quietly.
In addition to our jaguars, we this morning spotted many iguana, countless large bird species, one howler monkey, a small group of giant river otters, countless caiman, many capybara and more critters that I have lost track of. Catfish are jumpin', my heartbeat is thumpin' And I ain't got no worries 'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all.
My apologies to The Doobie Brothers.
I shot 250 exposures with my Nikon; several notable ones are here attached. Please enjoy. We go back out on the river in a little over an hour. Our boat crew is taking a break to watch the World Cup, Brazil vs. Croatia. Very big deal.
