While in New Orleans, we made a point of having a little swamp adventure. So we crawled out of bed just after sunrise to caffeinate and head out of the city. It was chilly and early, and we were a bit on the struggle bus as we entered Slidell and arrived at Honey Island Swamp Tours.
We motored off into the swamp, and quickly saw a gorgeous pelican. We stopped to admire it, and it preened for a bit before taking flight.
We spotted a blue egret as well, but it was more stubborn. I was snapping away [?: loveRavayna], especially all the different camps. Families have owned these spots in the swamp since the 40’s (Noah’s Ark is the oldest) and have built and rebuilt their camps over the years (and hurricane seasons.) I was intrigued to see how greatly their repair and luxury levels vary.
David and I’ve been out in the swamp dozens of times, but this was a first for our couple friends. I’d always heard from guides that swamp cypress is special because it manages to live in varying standing water, and sends roots and knuckles up through the the swamp’s surface. I think they’re beautiful, especially draped with Spanish moss.
We were all excited to spot an alligator! It was so cold that morning that we didn’t expect any to be awake and out, so it was cool to see his beady eyes breaking the surface of the murky water. He was a big one, too.
We saw the cutest raccoons, and stopped to watch them frolic. I could not stop thinking of Meeko and singing ‘Just Around the Riverbend’ like a big dork. I know they are rabies infested and all that jazz, but they are just really stinkin cute up close.
We also ran into a family of swamp pigs- Papa approached first, and was rather daring, swimming right up to our boat. We fed him a few treats, and Momma and Baby oreo piglet came along in quick succession.
We loved getting out into the fresh air and were glad to get up close with so many varieties of Louisiana creatures. I don’t love group tours, but Honey Island did a good job of keeping it personal, and the swamp’s a pretty big place, so we only saw one or two other boats. It was a lovely nature escape… there’s really no place like the Atchafalaya Swamp.
loveRavayna