A swamp tour is a must if you are heading south to Louisiana. No other place in the United States can give you the experience of the wetlands. Birds, alligators, snapping turtles, snakes, cypress trees and Spanish moss are a few of the wonders you may encounter. You will be left floating in awe amazement in the diversity the bayou bears.
Captain Billy with Cajun Man Swamp Tours did a fantastic job on our tour. He grew up in the bayou and was very knowledgeable about plants and animals alike explaining what we were looking at throughout the tour. The stories and background were interesting. Riding on his boat, you will hear the story about how he was hunting an alligator but caught a snapping turtle instead. It is wild!
Floating slowly through the water we kept our eyes peeled for alligators and my girls hands away from the edge. Apparently alligators can jump out of the water! We saw this phenomenon when we fed them! Apparently alligators like raw, smelly chicken. Captain Billy would put piece of chicken on the stick, hold it a couple of feet above the water and when the alligator was ready, it would propel itself out of the water and snatch the chicken. My girls loved it.
There was never a dull moment on Captain Billy’s boat. He had binoculars so we could see the bald eagles, he had fun little beads the girls thought were pretty fancy, and he even let the girls drive his boat! We all had a blast.
If you go to Louisiana, book a Cajun Man’s tour with Captain Billy, he will take care of you. Just bring yourself (friends and family would make it even more fun), some water and a few snacks. There is plenty of parking at the boat ramp for cars or larger vehicles. We parked our 31 foot RV, with car in tow, without any problems. There is a small fee for parking.
Listening to the Cajun music and being out the bayou was an experience I will always remember. It was relaxing and interesting all at the same time. Nothing at all like the rivers and streams here in Idaho. Plus we were able to see a lot of wildlife and enjoyed observing them in their natural habitat.
If you are wondering what else we did in Louisiana on our 50 states in 50 weeks trip, check out our full Louisiana post here. Or our YouTube video. Watch until the end.