Landscape and Climate

One of the great natural wonders of the world

The Pantanal links the biomes of the Amazon, the Cerrado Savannah and the Chiquitanos (wetlands) of Bolivia, and the Chacos of Paraguay. Apart from rivers and diverse forest formations, it is a complex system of marshlands, floodplains, lagoons and interconnected drainage lines.

With elevations of no more than 150 metres, the region is practically flat and its landscape clearly reflects the wet cycles. In the rainy season (between October and April) up to 80% of the territory becomes completely inundated.

A climatic roller coaster
When it rains in this part of the world, it pours, it drenches, it floods. But when the dry season kicks in around July, the dark grey clouds become a distant memory. One of the reasons why Pantanal has an incredible biodiversity is that it has two distinct seasons - the wet and the dry one - which cause in and outflow of water and produce very different types of ecosystems. Rain usually occurs in the zones where the headwaters of rivers are located.

At the beginning of the raining season in the uplands (starting in November), the water level of the Paraguay River increases, causing floods in the lowlands. During the wet season, from October to March, as much as 80% of the Pantanal may become flooded and water levels can be up to 5 metres higher than during the dry season.

Every May, one can observe the start of the 'ebbing', when the water level slowly begins to fall. When the ground is once again dry, a fine layer of humus loam covers the surface (a mixture of sand, remains of animal and plant matter, seeds and humus), which greatly enriches the soil.

Nature repeats, every year.

Perfect setting for fish, birds, and other animals
The huge volume of water, which practically covers the whole Pantanal region, is truly a fresh water ocean, where thousands of fish live. Small fish feed larger bird and other animal species.

When the water level comes down, large numbers of fish are trapped in the lagoons and bays, unable to go back to the rivers. For several months, birds and carnivorous animals (caimans, otters, etc.) have abundant food at their easy disposal. As the water level continues to fall in the new shallow lagoons, fish like dourado, pacu and traíra can be caught by hand. Small and large birds are seen planing over the water, creating a scene of endless beauty.