March 31, 2021 - Jean Lafitte Swamp Boat Tour
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| I wanted to go on a New Orleans swamp tour, so we headed south of the city to Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours. Here we are! |
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Let's go see some gators!
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| This is our swamp boat -- a big pontoon boat. Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours was doing a good business; this was one of at least five boats in operation. |
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Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Very little is actually known about Lafitte, and speculation about his life and death continues among historians. Lafitte and his men helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans during the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.
Three of the other Swamp Tour boats are visible in this picture.
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| Cruising down a canal in the Barataria Preserve. |
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| The pontoon boat Captain Jason was great. A local, he probably has spent all of his life in the swamp hunting and fishing. He spoke in this slow Cajun drawl and was really funny. He knew the swamp like the back of his hand. I think he probably knew each alligator individually: where they liked to hang out and their personality. |
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| Our first gator sighting! |
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Close-up.
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| A bigger one checks us out from the shore. The gators are used to the constant pontoon boat traffic and pay them no attention. |
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Here we go.
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| My, that's a big one. |
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| Lynnette a little nervous holding the alligator head. |
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| Our intrepid Captain, Jason, showing off a live baby gator. |
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Everyone who wanted to got to hold the gator.
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Of course I had to hold him. Pretty cool; I've never held one before.
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| Cruisin in the Bayou. |
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| This gator did a good job of keeping his teeth brushed. Nice and white. |
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| Can you find the gator? |
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| An old shack out in the swamp. |
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| Blue Heron? |
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We cruised in an offshoot off Carpes Swamp.
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| Some serious hanging moss. |
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A big turtle hanging out on a log in the water.
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| This gator is smiling at us. |
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It's pretty back in the bayou.
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| We follow another pontoon boat briefly. |
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A gator hunkers down on the shore.
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Cypress tree?
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| This massive gator is the biggest one we saw. |
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| A Bald Eagle sits on top of a power cable tower and surveys his empire. |
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Back at the office, we check out this little guy.
We really enjoyed the Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour. It was different from the Florida airboat tour. Both are recommended.
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