PUMAS OF PATAGONIA PHOTO TOUR

PUMA (Puma concolor)

Pumas are the main and really only target wild cat for this tour. These cats are extremely elusive in other parts of their range and without the guides it would even be near impossible to see the cats even in Patagonia. However with more than two decades of combined experience, we tend to see and photograph pumas almost, if not every day of the tour.

GEOFFROY'S CAT (Leopardus geoffroyi)

This wide-ranging cat does live in the area, but prefers woodland over the pre-Andean shrubland that the pumas tend to occupy. They are also more elusive in this area than other’s so this isn’t the best place to look for them. None of our guides have ever seen a Geoffroy’s cat in the area, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

Easy: for the duration of the trip we will have multiple encounters with this wild cat species with good photo opportunities

Medium: we expect to see the wild cat and have at least one, but probably multiple encounters, with good photo opportunities

Difficult: for the duration of the trip, our goal will be to have one encounter with good photographic opportunities

Very Difficult: for the duration of the trip we hope to have one encounter with the cat, whether a good photo opportunity or not

Extremely Difficult: it is extremely unlikely to see this cat, so having even a glimpse of this cat is considered success

Our puma photo tour is our longest running safari that we offer and we have dialed in all the details to create a life-changing experience for you. Patagonia is by far the best place in the world to see pumas and we do so reliably during our trips. To create encounters that both benefit you and don’t harm the cats, we have chosen specific local guides as well as two of the world’s leading ethical photographers, Sebastian Kennerknecht and Melissa Groo.

Sebastian has travelled to southern Patagonia extensively having spent over three hundred hours with these cats and knows the individuals, their personalities, and their behaviors extremely well. Sebastian is a multi-award winning photographer and will help you with your photography needs. He also has a degree in behavioral ecology which allows him to predict what the animal will do next.

Melissa is a leading authority on ethical wildlife photography. She dedicates much of her time to ensuring wildlife photography is done in a way that does not harm the animals we all love so dearly. Like Sebastian, she is a fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and is on NANPA’s ethics committee.

Besides having Melissa and Sebastian by your side for guidance at all times, we have hand picked the best local guides who have spent years with Patagonia’s pumas.

This itinerary was designed to give you the best opportunity to experience wild pumas in the beautiful mountain landscape of southern Patagonia. Unlike many other big cat safaris, you get to experience these top predators exclusively on foot at their eye level.

To ensure maximum chances of seeing and photographing the pumas, we use not only the best guides, but also hire extra trackers that have extensive knowledge of the area and the mountain lions that use it. This also means that once we find a puma, we will be able to approach the cats safely to within twenty-five yards. If the cats want to come even closer, which they sometimes do, that is their choice.

Even though the surrounding mountains are beautiful, all of our hiking is done close to sea level with altitude not playing a role, and the mountains serving as a backdrop rather than an obstacle. However, the pumas do require us to hike up hills, so it pays to be in decent physical shape. We, unlike other tours, utilize four wheel vehicles however to get us as close to the pumas as possible without exhausting ourselves.

Besides providing you the opportunity to see and photograph wild cats, we at Cat Expeditions make your travel experience hassle free. Upon booking, you will be sent a full itinerary that includes what to bring and how to prepare. Once you land in Punta Arenas, you can focus on enjoying yourself as all the travel logistics are not only taken care off, but optimized to give you the most time to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the pumas of Patagonia.

Hotel Tierra Patagonia has high-speed internet. Laundry service is available at cost to the client.

Hotel Cabo de Hornos is located in Punta Arenas, about a twenty-five minute drive from the airport. Designed for modern leisure travellers in mind, the hotel provides elegance, modern amenities and warm, friendly service.

Each room has its own private bathroom, including bathtub allowing you to fully relax before your return flight home. WIFI is available for free.

Our puma photo tour, like all Cat Expeditions, has conservation impact built into it. In southern Chile, the biggest threat to pumas is being killed by livestock farmers.

Our expedition takes place on a private ranch, or estancia, adjacent to Torres del Paine National Park. The ranch, once a working farm, converted to puma ecotourism in 1996. For years pumas were seen as a threat to farming, and were often killed. Through community conservation efforts, pumas are now protected by ranchers and more are converting their properties to ecotourism.

In addition to paying for access to private puma territory, a percentage of the tour proceeds are donated to Panthera, the world’s leading wild cat conservation organization, who is running a research project in the area.

November 5th-12th, 2021 (4 spots available)
November 4th-11th, 2022 (6 spots available)
November 3th-10th, 2023 (6 spots available)

Price per person: $14,500

Single room supplement: $4,000

The price includes:
- all transportation starting in Punta Arenas
- high-end lodging
- meals, basic alcohol
- puma excursions, using 4x4 vehicles
- guide services of Sebastian Kennerknecht
- guide services of Melissa Groo
- English speaking local guide
- puma tracker
- conservation donation to Panthera

The price does not include:
- flights to Punta Arenas
- premium alcohol
- tips
- laundry
- insurance