Best Swamp Tours in New Orleans
Just beyond the larger-than-life vibe of New Orleans is a world filled with moss-covered cypress trees and sleepy backwater channels
The most famous residents here are the alligators. You might find them sunbathing along the shoreline or floating like half-submerged logs in quiet ponds. Sound scary? Challenge yourself by taking a swamp tour in this mysterious, natural world in search of these prehistoric creatures and other exotic sights. Who knows, you might even find Big Foot.
Explore a Wildlife Refuge at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours
Your adventure at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours the owners, so you won't be disturbed by other tour companies. As you cruise through the Manchac Swamp, the captains call out to the alligators, and they usually answer by coming out to greet the boat. Take the tour operator's shuttle from downtown New Orleans hotels or drive the 25-mile scenic route on your own to get to the wildlife refuge.
Search for Big Foot at Honey Island Swamp Tours
When you take a Honey Island Swamp Tour, keep an eye out for Big Foot. It's only a legend, or is it? Local fishermen call the creature "The Thing," while "Dr. Wagner," the tour owner, calls it "Wookie." Either way, it's one big hairy mystery. Cruise through the cypress swamp in small boats that get you deeper into the shallow backwaters than other tours. Chances are you'll find alligators, otters, turtles, frogs and plenty of birds. These tours focus on the ecology and natural history of the swamp on top of plain old fun. Honey Island Swamp Tours also offers rides to the swamp from downtown hotels. Sit back and relax on the 50-minute trip with a narrated tour of the countryside.
Guide Along the Bayou on a Gray Line Swamp Tour
Pick up your tickets and board the bus for the Gray Line swamp tour at the Steamboat Natchez Dock in the French Quarter. When you arrive, glide through the Jean Lafitte Barataria Preserve in a swamp boat in search of alligators, egrets, raccoons and snakes. You might get lucky and spot a jaguar, one of the most elusive animals in Louisiana's swamps. Want more of a thrill? Take an airboat tour and hang on tight as this speedy watercraft zips through the marshy bayous and across sections of open water. When the boat slows down, it drifts along the edges of the swamp where you might even get curious alligators swimming up to check you out.
What;s the Best Time to See Alligators?
You'll most likely see wild alligators no matter when you take your swamp tour, but you'll double your chances of seeing them if you go from March through May and September through November. If you visit during the summer, it's best to go early in the morning or in the evening when it's not quite as hot. Breeding season, in April and May, makes for especially good viewing. Males tend to cruise along the surface, sometimes getting into fights to defend their territory. In June the females build nesting sites slightly above the water's edge. After laying their eggs, they stand guard nearby until the babies hatch. You may see a female dozing near the waterline, but she's really just keeping an eye on you.
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