Photos, videos and docs of Richard And Jo Demeester, with the keywords: "Brazil"

A Hawk with Some Lunch

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:42 +0000

We saw this beautiful bird snatch that large fish from just below the water surface. It landed on the other side of the river, and proceeded to feast straight away, proudly showing us the catch.

Sunrise on Rio Cuiaba

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:41 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

Travelling on the Cuiaba river in a small speed boat, a thin gentle haze hovering above the water to provide an accent for the rising sun.

Portrait of a Yellow Anaconda

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:44 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

It’s amazing to see the vibrant golden scales so close. Eyes and nostrils high on the head enable them to disappear in the water, with only these vital organs above the surface.

A Wonderful Sighting

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:48 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

We were warned. This was not a good time of year for spotting jaguar. In fact, probably the worst.

With our expectations set suitably low, we nonetheless decided that it was worth a punt. They are still around, just more elusive.

Our accommodation was a fair way along the river from the true border of the wildlife protection reserve. Even though technically not in the reserve, a wide perimeter around the reserve seems to be respected by locals and treated somewhat the same. The land might be private and (sparsely) populated, there are some farming activities, but it makes the transition from rural to nature quite gradual, like a soft border.

We set off early in the boat, with the schedule having us on the water for around 7 hours. Within the first hour, and possibly within 5 minutes of entering the reserve, there was this beautiful sight.

Swimming.

A jaguar.

Swimming.

I didn't know they swam.

We were looking in the trees, and in the undergrowth along the banks. We weren't looking in the water.

Swimming.

A jaguar.

Family of Capybara

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:46 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

They darted back and forth along the water's edge. They seemed a little unsettled by us on the boat, even though the engine was off.

Talking of Nostrils and Eyes

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:50 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

A caiman keeps watch on us, ready to dive and disappear if he perceives us to be a threat.

Perched Kingfisher

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:52 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

Sitting above the river, scanning.

Finding the kingfishers is not a hard task. The blue stands out against the tree foliage, and they don't mind sitting on bare branches. They are brave birds, too, not too quick to take flight as we edge close to them for a picture.

Off She Goes

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:49 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

It wasn't a very long sighting, but it was special. An unforgettable end-of-trip highlight.

Largest Rodent in the World

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:47 +0000

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Capybara, or in Portuguese, capivara.

The ears and eyes and nose are all high on the head, so like the anaconda, they can remain almost completely submerged.

Snake Observation

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:45 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

I saw a description of anacondas, calling them polite predators. With few predators, they are considered apex. The polite label is earned because they generally don't engage with anything they won't eat, conserving energy and effort for true prey only, or only if they feel threatened.

Yellow Anaconda

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:23:43 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

Less than 15 minutes after our arrival, one of the workers burst in. He was running to get us. not wanting us to miss the beautiful snake passing through the yard.

The biggest surprise was the unconcerned behaviour of the chickens.

Blue Lake Cave, near Bonito

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 15:32:04 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

It's a combination of clear water, natural minerals, and sunlight refraction.

Aquário Natural

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 15:32:29 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

From down here, you cannot tell that it was raining quite heavily.

We weren't really swimming. It was more of a float. We were encouraged to not kick, not splash, not stand, just using our hands for some minor propulsion. The entire trip consisted of a walk through the forest, then 10 or 15 minutes in a natural pool to get accustomed to the activity. Not so much the snorkelling, but resisting the urge to put your feet down and stand.

From the pool, the float downstream took about an hour. I believe it was almost a kilometre.

Mainly fish, and dominated by three or four types. We were always excited to see the odd stand-out differing species, and would try and catch each other's gaze. In hand gestures we try to enquire of each other while pointing, "did you see that little red one?"

We saw a water snake, too, which was really cool. About 60 or 70 cm long, near the bottom, entirely unbothered by us floating by. It seemed to be searching through the river grasses, perhaps looking for a frog for lunch.

Aquário Natural

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 15:32:27 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

Snorkelling in the natural aquarium near Bonito.

Known for exceptional visibility and large numbers of colourful fish. To help preserve the balance, visitors are asked not to be wearing sunscreen or insect repellent before they swim.

Near the Infinity Edge

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 07:04:37 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

The calm, mirror reflection disguises the fact there is a waterfall behind us. A natural infinity edged pool This location is called Janela para o Céu, the Window to the Sky.

The framing of the view out is just spot-on. The canyon below, the mountains in the distance, and the jungle filling all the space between. I was looking forward to this spot, and our opportunity to "dance on the water".

A Scenic Stop

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:57:01 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

Not all the waterfalls we visited are swimable. Perhaps just as well. I was tiring a bit from the process.

So, this way-point might be labelled as an "admire the pretty waterfall" stop.

A Perfect Day for Waterfalls

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:57:03 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

There was some cloud cover, giving us some protection from sun burn, but enough blue for great photos.

At times like this, I pine for the old SLR. With film, I think the joy of setting up and capturing a scene like this would have been fulfilling, ensuing the light, angle, settings, and interference factors are low, long before pressing the button and using one precious frame.

Swimming Stop Number Five

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:57:04 +0000

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Or maybe it was number six. The water and air temperatures were ideal, with neither entry nor exit proceedings leaving one feeling cold. But the ritual of footwear and shirts and drying was becoming tedious.

Maybe I'm a social influencer at heart. I honestly think this last swim was only so we could get the picture.

First Waterfall, First Swim of the Day

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:56:59 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

I could not say no to a dip in the natural pool.

Boca da Onça

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:56:58 +0000

Richard And Jo Demeester has posted:

At over 150 metres, this cascade is certainly the tallest waterfall in this region of Brazil. This was our first stop at Boca da Onça.

Every now and then, the air would fill with squawks. Numerous birds would emerge from the jungle and circle, maybe 3 or 4 times, near the upper areas of the falls, before landing in rocky crevices or returning to the trees. The scarlet reds or blues of macaws were easy to pick out, while the darker coloured birds remained largely unidentified. Combined with the filtered sunlight and the noisy birds, this was a delightful first stop on our day trip.

At the back of my mind, though, we have to walk back up. We started at the top of those falls!