The new year kicked off with an immediate adventure: my long-anticipated Guyana: Land of Giants photo tour. Following successful scouting in early 2024, I returned with a group of photography clients ready to unlock the secrets of South America’s least-visited country. Unfortunately, this trip didn’t start smoothly. The date of our arrival coincided with the arrival of a certain world power’s military forces in neighboring Venezuela. Flights across the Caribbean were canceled, and in my case, my arrival in Georgetown was pushed back a couple extra days.
Fortunately, once the rest of the group landed, they hit the ground running, and the rest of us soon caught up to begin the adventure in earnest. An extra scheduled day at the end meant that those of us who missed the beginning of the trip got a second chance to complete all of the photo activities the rest had enjoyed at the outset.
And how did the trip go following our initial disruption? It was excellent. My guests had a chance to explore and discover a variety of Guyana’s different ecosystems, from the coastal canals outside of Georgetown to the massive Kaieteur waterfall and the savannas of southern Guyana. The highlight was a stay in the remote jungle environs of the Mapari and Rupununi River systems.
As usual, you can jump straight to the archive to see the full gallery of photos from this trip (using the Slideshow function is always recommended). A short preview follows below…
One of the highlights of our river cruise near Georgetown is seeing the enigmatic Hoatzin.
Rufous Crab Hawks are popular among birders due to their relative scarcity along the Caribbean/Atlantic coast of South America.
The Scarlet Ibis remains the most vibrant bird I’ve ever encountered.
Unfortunately, we had very little time near the Kaieteur waterfall, but we did manage to find a couple of the tiny, endangered golden rocket frogs.
We saw a few different primate species during the trip, including the red-faced spider monkey.
For the second trip in a row, I had a chance to join the black caiman research team from the Yupukari Village. We followed them on the Rupununi River as they sought out and captured a younger caiman.
This was a nice surprise: two King Vultures standing on the beach as we motored upriver. Normally we only see them circling high above.
During a couple of morning outings in the savanna, we were able to spot one of the world’s most unique mammals, the giant anteater.
Spider-on-spider crime. What a cool find during a night walk!
The Red-throated Caracara is one of the noisiest birds in the rainforest.
What a treat to see a few different Goliath birdeaters during this expedition. This was the only one that was out of its burrow.
I normally prefer to photograph subjects in situ, so it’s important to note that my guide spooked this one (I think it also spooked him), which is how it ended up in this spot. We photographed it in the position it established after settling down.
We saw a few different giant otter families, but unlike the ones seen in Brazil’s Pantanal, these were all fairly shy.
The highlight of the trip had to be seeing both male and female Harpy Eagles flying in to put the finishing touches on their nest. The female finally settled down to lay eggs after we left.
View the Guyana 2026 gallery in the photo archive (101 images).
Interested in joining me on my next visit to Guyana? It’s likely to occur in late 2028 or early 2029, depending on the Harpy Eagle nesting schedule. Learn more about this tour.
