I have to admit, scripted or not, I have enjoyed watching several episodes of Swamp People on the History channel about their crazy adventures in the bayou while hunting for gators. So while down in the gator swamp territory, I thought it was a great opportunity to see things first hand.
The first adventure was on an airboat. This was a really good excursion from the start to finish. For a small fee they had a shuttle pick me up from the hotel. The drivers were really good at making the 45 minute trip pleasurable and interesting. They essentially did a guided tour of the areas that we drove by.
When we got to a certain part of town, 100 percent of the buildings were elevated due to the frequency of flooding beyond the hurricane season.
Once at the location, it was a 30-45 minute check-in, pay, and hang out at the store. There many different souvenirs to choose from and also see a live albino gator.
I took the small airboat tour and I highly recommend it. There were only 6 people plus the driver. The smaller boats get to go through tighter/narrower channels which makes for some interesting touring. Each tour is 2 hrs with some of the time just drifting up to gators and soaking up the really neat scenery. Ear protection is provided because the noice is deafening.
We had a great tour guide, (I forgot his name), who was born and raised in the swamp with many great stories and facts about the area. He was bitten 36 times by alligators and later we found out why, he definitely gets up into their face!! But it makes for a great experience.
On the way back we raced a storm that was quickly coming from the west. We enjoyed the fast ride back to the dock with lots of spray and high winds. Ultimately we made it back before the storm hit hard with really heavy rain.
On the way back we crossed a bridge over the Mississippi River, which was a nice way to see the entire city of New Orleans from a distance.
KAYAKING
NOLA SWAMP TOURS
The next adventure brought me closer to the water and into a denser swamp. And the reality of the adventure is being that much closer to the gators.
This NOLA organization has only one location for pick, for me it was a 30 minute walk. From there it was a 30 minute drive the Maurepas Swamp where the guide prepped all of the equipment and kayaks. I highly recommend doing the tour at 9 am as the heat gradually increases to unbearable levels. The amount of wildlife activity also decreases with the increased temperature.
The entire kayak trip consisted of a slow paced paddle down the channels in the swamp. We stopped a few times along the way for more information presented by the guide. It was great way to learn about the formation of the many swamp ecosystems scattered around the state and the environmental effects.
Due to the recent rainfall, the heavy swamp vegetation that floats on the top migrated into large masses across the channel in 3 areas. It took a lot of effort to push across the undergrowth and it took some time with several kayaks on the tour. This was a tour that required returning via the same way so it nice to see things you missed the first time.
On the way back, we passed a few cemeteries. It was very interesting to see the above-the-ground tombs because of the high water table. This was sufficient for me to see in passing and I personally didn't go on a cemetery tour.
