BomFuturo.org - Pantanal - Environment and Biodiversity Conservation
The annual cycle of chuva and seca, enchente and vazante
The climate in the Pantanal features dry and rainy periods:
from about October through April the wet rainy season occurs and is called chuva or cheia: in this period the Pantanal is progressively flooded (enchente)
the dry season begins approximately in May (the so called seca), which lasts through to about September, when the rivers withdraw to normal and the various ponds, temporary lagoons and canals dry up or evaporate (vazante).
The annual flood cycle determines the abundance and variety of both animal and vegetal life in the Pantanal, in its countless stretches of water and waterways.