Seeing the Swamp

On our third day, Ella and I woke up bright and early for our Swamp Tour. We chose the Jean Lafitte swamp tours and we went with the airboat one, which is more expensive but totally worth it. The swamp is a bit of a drive away from the city, but it actually isn't as far as I thought it would have been.

The swamp is privately owned by a family that has kept it for generations, apparently dating back to when their ancestor was a crew member of the pirate Jean Lafitte and was rewarded this land. This land is still mostly used for hunting. Our tour guide described to us what animals they would hunt, including how they hunt and help control the alligator population. We learned that all swamp animals apparently love marshmallows. Then our tour guide brought out his own baby alligator!

The tour was a good two to three hours. At some parts of the swamp, you could actually see the buildings at the edge of the city of New Orleans. Our tour guide also described to us how the swamp was when Katrina hit as well as the environmental problems that continue to plague them. The tour took up most of the morning but of course, Ella and I still had a lot to do for the rest of the day. All photos courtesy of Ella.