Freshwater Stingray Photography Expedition in the rivers of Mato Grosso and Para in southern Brazil

September 2024

Our September 2024 field trip to look for freshwater stingrays in an undisclosed (to protect the rays) tributary of the Teles Pires River was a highly successful project, but not without its challenges!

Our inbound flight from Cuiaba was cancelled due to heavy smoke from forest fires burning just a few km from the lodge we were heading to, so we arrived by overnight bus. Dodging fires that were burning right beside the dirt roads we were driving along, we eventually made it to the lodge, but the air quality was so bad that we spent the week with stinging eyes and sore lungs. I also contracted Giardia from snorkeling in contaminated rivers all day. Regardless, it was a great trip because I found two new species of freshwater stingrays (P. albimaculata and P. jabuti). Enjoy the video:

Before arriving in Para, we made a pit stop at the Rio Triste to snorkel with Largespot/Parana River Stingrays (Potamotrygon falkneri). I have photographed this species in the same river on previous trips, but this was the first time I had a chance to capture some video of these beautiful rays.

While I was photographing Pearl River Stingrays (P. jabuti) in Para, I came across one ray that was larger than all the other pearl rays. It was roughly the right colour, but it had quite different markings and a wider row of thorns on its tail.
Initially, I thought it was just an older pearl river stingray, but I sent some images to Dr Marcelo Carvalho who described P. jabuti. He wasn’t 100% sure, but suggested it may be a hybrid of P. jabuti and P.orbignyi, a larger species more commonly found in the lower Tapajos River, which is further north.

Pearl River Stingray, Potamotrygon jabuti. Aka Pearl Freshwater Stingray. Widespread in the Rio Tapajós and Rio Teles Pires in Brazil, South America.

Six weeks after I got back to Canada, I finally kicked the Giardia, which by then had completely invaded my system and caused intense joint inflammation and left me completely exhausted.

I’m finally getting my strength back; just in time for my next adventure in South America. This time to the coast of Patagonia to hunt for some rarely seen species of skates, eagle rays, guitarfish, and ghost sharks!