September 11: The Shots Everyone Wants
What most people seem to want is shots of a jaguar killing something or mating—neither of which I was privileged to see on this trip.
I don’t feel badly about this. It would be my luck the jaguar would have killed a baby capybara, and that is NOT something I wanted to witness. And from what I’ve been told, jaguar mating is pretty violent. The male has 130 barbs on his penis, so once he enters the female, he’s “locked in” until he finishes his business—and it hurts her. But female jaguars will mate with multiple males while they are in estrus, so I guess even cats experience the triumph of hope over experience….
But it seems that the next-best thing is a shot of a jaguar yawning….because that’s about all they really DO when they aren’t hunting or having sex. Like all cats everywhere, they sleep a lot—and they do some EPIC yawning. If you ever see a photo of a jaguar that looks like it’s snarling—it isn’t, I promise. The photographer has just picked a frame with peak yawnage.
(This is a GIF I made with raw footage. I was shooting at about 10 frames/second. Nothing you see here has been altered in any way. If I could have altered it, I would have gone back and made sure I got her paws in the photo!)
There is one other thing jaguars do a lot—swim.
Can’t I even take a BATH in private?!
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Jaguar Faces
Since jaguars spend long stretches of time sitting/sleeping under trees, the other thing you do when you are photographing one for a couple of hours is to try and catch the different expressions it makes. Meet Jaju, treating us to her Imperial Gaze: “I’m looking you straight in the eye, peasant—bow to me!”
Jaju #1
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Then you have the “I’m no longer interested in looking at you, because I just saw a bird in the tree above your head” pose….
Jaju #2
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Then there is the “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!” pose…..
Jaju #3
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Followed by the “What the heck is THAT?!?!?” pose…
Jaju #4
©️APaige Baker, 2019.
Then you spend time with a different jaguar who starts out with the Imperial Gaze, but quickly drops it because she is desperate for a nap. Meet Ãgue (pronounced “Ah-gay”), a very charming young lady who gave us multiple opportunities over the course of our time in Porto Jofre to admire her.
Ãgue #1
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Ãgue #2—”I’m getting soooooooo sleepy…”
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Ãgue #3—“This log is pretty comfy. I think I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes…”
©A Paige Baker, 2019
Ãgue #4—“ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz”
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Everybody on the trip has paid to photograph jaguars, and—as you can see—they are wonderful. But there are so many other creatures to admire!
I called this Cocoi Heron “The Sentinel.” Every morning when we got to this spot on the river, there it was. (I know it was probably a different bird every day, but just go with it….)
The Sentinel
©️APaige Baker, 2019
And here’s one of its relatives, trying to choke down a HUGE fish…
Cocoi Heron with fish
©️APaige Baker, 2019
After that, you can see a Bare-Faced Ibis hunting for food, a Jabiru Stork having a drink (a difficult thing to do with a bill that long!), and a pair of Jabiru Storks trying to escape the bugs that plague them everywhere they go…poor things.
Bare-Faced Ibis
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Jabiru Stork drinking
©️APaige Baker, 2019
“Bug off!” Jabiru Storks
©️APaige Baker, 2019
The capybaras and their bird friends were in fine fettle. When I took this next photo, I thought for a moment that the egret was riding on the capybara’s back—alas, it was just an optical illusion (but a fun one).
Capybara and Snowy Egret
©️APaige Baker, 2019
And then we have another capybara modeling the latest in millinery….
Capybara and Black-Capped Donacobius
©️APaige Baker, 2019
The Giant River Otters were out being terrifying again. You should hear the sound of them CRUNCHING on those fish. Shiver. I think J.R.R. Tolkien must have gotten the idea for Gollum from these guys.
My PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSSS
©️APaige Baker, 2019
They aren’t afraid of jaguars, either. The photo below shows a pack of them harassing Ãgue. She was standing on a tree branch above them (a shot I sadly missed), and they were screeching at her—just to let her know they knew she was there and they weren’t afraid of her. Mark said the jaguars won’t mess with the otters unless they happen to catch a young one by itself.
Did I mention that these suckers grow to be six feet long?
Strength in Numbers (They look deceptively cute in this shot. Look back at the photo above, and don’t believe it.)
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Having the opportunity to take this shot was a highlight of the day. This is where having a knowledgeable local guide makes all the difference—no one would have noticed these bats at all if Paulo hadn’t been there to point them out. The shot is not ideal—there isn’t enough contrast between these little guys and the tree on which they were roosting—but just seeing them was a real treat!
I think these are Long-Nosed Bats
©️APaige Baker, 2019
We ended the day with one of The Brothers, Borro, walking along the beach in the setting sun….
Borro
©️APaige Baker, 2019
Borro and the River of Light
©️APaige Baker, 2019