anaconda diving

Brazil and the HIGHS and lows of travel life.

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September 7, 2021 - I am in Brazil. No words can express how blessed I feel to be back in this magical place. I have been dreaming of returning here every day since the last time I was here. This is one of my most favorite places in the world. I should be over the moon with excitement. Sadly the truth is I am not. Recent family events have cast an enormous shadow on my excitement of being here and leaving home. Getting on that plane yesterday afternoon was one of the hardest things I have had to do in a very long time.

Thankfully no one has died. No one is sick. It is just a very low moment for me and my loved ones… I could put on a game face and pretend that all is perfect in my world, but that would not be right. Part of sharing the travel life is sharing those low moments as well. On the bright side… I am hoping for some amazing news from home that will remove this dark cloud, but until then, I sit in my hotel room in Campo Grande, over thinking things and working hard to muster up some good vibes to send out to the universe.

From our 2018 expedition.

From our 2018 expedition.

Anyway, off my soap box and onto some details about why we are here, and why you read this blog. It is that time… anaconda diving. Yup, it is time to go seek out the largest slithering reptile on the planet, the green anaconda. The largest green anaconda on record was 29 feet long (8.8 meters) and 550 pounds. Now that is one giant ass snake. I hope that our guests who are joining us for this trip find a few snakes like this to swim with.

Unfortunately, they are not easy to find, and each year, thanks to poachers, fear, and ignorance, they are becoming more scarce. Thankfully the private lands we visit during this trip protect the snakes there. So they do have some refuge here in Brazil, which is amazing.

Green anaconda from our 2018 expedition.

Green anaconda from our 2018 expedition.

Like every trip we run, these are wild animals not from a zoo, so we have to search for them, and nature is nature - she is going to do what she does, and sometimes is not very kind. Thankfully we have been fortunate on our trips here, and I feel terrific about our chances of seeing some big girls. The females of the species are the ones with size. The males are normal-sized snakes. So with some luck, which we have on our side, we will find some snakes.

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So the adventure begins tomorrow! I arrived a day early to ensure that I would get here on time. Unlike my Dominica flights, things went smooth - no late flights, an empty row for my 9-hour plane ride, no crazy customs, and no missing bags… it was nice. Our friend Pooja arrived here in Campo Grande with me, and tomorrow morning, we pick up our buddies Julian and Stefan at the airport and go off to Bonito.

The new adventure begins… now all we need are some giant snakes, and some good news from home.

Thanks for reading.

Green Anaconda Photo Profile

WILDLIFE PHOTO PROFILE
Green Anaconda – Bonito, Brazil

One of the most unforgettable experiences of my diving career was visiting the Pantanal and swimming with green anacondas. These highly misunderstood predators have been vilified by the media and public for years. When I first jumped in the water with them, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I knew they weren’t the monsters they’d been made out to be—because if there’s one thing the media is good at, it’s over-exaggerating all predatory species. Still, I was curious. I wanted to understand their temperament. How tolerant were they of divers? How passive would they be toward another species once we were in their space?

I just didn’t know.

When we entered the water with this particular snake—an impressively large female, nearly 4 meters long—she wanted nothing to do with us and immediately swam away. At first, she moved quickly. But once she realized we weren’t a threat, she slowed down. She continued to swim away, but without urgency. There was no aggression—just calm retreat.

The snake was an absolute sweetheart, and I felt truly blessed to be in the water with her. What struck me most was the realization—yet again—that we’ve vilified another predatory species without truly understanding it.

This encounter happened over a year ago, but I can still see it clearly in my mind. It remains one of my most treasured wildlife experiences—a moment of connection, humility, and deep respect.

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MY EPIC FAILURE!

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The boat slowly approached two mating anacondas. The boys quickly and as silently as possible threw on their gear. One by one they slid off the boat and into the water. The snakes, aware of their presence, broke off their courtship and swam in different directions. The boys chose the biggest of the pair to follow, an 18 foot long beauty. They filmed and photographed the snake as it silently swam away from them. The encounter was brief but everything we all had hoped it would be. This moment was exactly what I had been dreaming about since I first learned that it was possible to swim with anacondas in Brazil. A dream come true!  This was also just the first encounter of a perfect week of diving... Sadly, I was NOT there for any of it!

September 22 - San Fransisco International Airport. I arrived at the airport late for my flight. I screwed up on my departure time, so a nice final breakfast with Maritza, Sophia and our buddy Larisa, turned into a mad race towards the airport in an effort of getting me on my flight for Brazil. I made it with seconds to spare. HOWEVER, when I was checking in for my flight, the airline attendant asked me for my travel visa... My heart sank. My eye's wide with fear, I responded, "What do you mean travel visa?" She then told me that for americans to fly to Brazil, a travel visa was required. I told her I didn't have one. She looked at me, handed back my passport and said, "Sorry, you are NOT going to Brazil today." 

I was stunned. I have never needed a tourist visa for any of the countries I have visited in the past, so that caught me completely off guard. I started scrambling, trying to see if I could get one in a hurry. It turns out, that I needed to get it through the Brazilian Consulate. However, they wouldn't be able to get it until Monday, because they are closed over the weekend, ( today was Friday ). That meant I wouldn't get it in my hands until Tuesday. Which meant I couldn't fly till Wednesday, and I wouldn't get to my group until Friday. Which was the final day of the trip.

I.. freaking.. screwed.. up.. badly! I sat down, head in my hands, just devastated. I missed the window for my trip, I disappointed our friends who joined us. This trip was one that I had been dreaming about for a very long time. I was gutted.

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Thankfully, my good friend Jorge Cervera Hauser, who was joining us on this trip picked up the reins and led the group. The week would of been so much harder without his help. And I am happy to report that the Brazil trip was a smashing success. They had 3 days with an 18 foot anaconda, mating anacondas, jaguars, caiman, river otters, families of capybaras. Just everything we had hoped the trip would be. Of course, I wasn’t there to see it this season, but that is the price I paid for my American vanity and stupidity. Everyday, the boys updated me with the trip and how it was going. I received image after image, of an epic wildlife adventure. I was extremely excited for them and so damn happy that the trip was a huge success. But I was also dying inside, wanting desperately to be there with them, to experience it all. For that, I will forever regret. 

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The trip ended and everyone one went safely home. I was ever grateful that the boys had the adventure of a lifetime. The images I am sharing from the trip are all Jorge's pics… and they are all just stunning! We are of course planning our trip for next season already and I can say this with confidence, I won’t make that same epic mistake next season... and I WILL be there for all of it!


Images by Jorge Cervera Hauser