Cajun Country Swamp Tours (Breaux Bridge, Louisiana)

---

Featured Photo: Butch shared a photo he snapped of his wife one January drive on a levy where he spotted one of the biggest alligators he'd seen. Can't believe he was able to convince his wife to get that close to it for a picture! There's no way you could've done something like this and live through it if it were summer, he said.

THE MEETING SPOT
We are instructed to gather in this area where we will meet either Butch or Shawn (Butch's son) for our 3:00pm 2hr tour.

I'm getting over a cold so I'm bundled up in six layers of clothing.

• shirt
• hoody sweater
• sweater
• jacket
• long coat
• windbreaker

The tour is conducted on a crawfish skiff that's environmentally friendly with a very quiet 4-stroke outboard motor and can accommodate about 20 passengers. The chairs swivel nicely for 180° degrees, too!

I know I look like a marshmallow but I was warm all the way through the 2-hour tour (... I might've started to get a little chilly the last 15 minutes of the tour...)!

Tip: Don't be in such a rush... when you're last in line, you're in front of the boat.

BIRDING

Birding in Louisiana: Today, we spotted:
 
• Cardinal
• Pileated Woodpecker
• This Heron uses it's beak to spear fish!
• Whitethroat
• And more...

THE LANDSCAPE

Tomorrow's forecast called for rain, so we're happy to go outdoors and experience Louisiana!

There were several duck blinds around Lake Martin. Some duck blinds can hold a few people... maybe your hunting dog and even conceals your boat! In contrast, they showed us a single person duck blind. Fancy! Found out it was well-made by our tour guide's son. Sidenote: Our tour guide Butch was the best!

SWAMPS AND BAYOUS

What's the difference between a bayou and a swamp?

"Bayou - a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying area, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river, or to a marshy lake or wetland... many bayous are home to crawfish, certain species of shrimp, other shellfish, catfish, frogs, toads, American alligators, American crocodiles, herons, turtles and a myriad of other species." – Wikipedia

"Swamp - a wetland that is forested. The water of a swamp may be fresh water, brackish water or seawater. Swamps are characterized by very slow-moving waters." – Wikipedia

Getting back just before dark - 5:00pm... Spotted this houseboat which we’ve been told has often been used for overnight camping. We can also see our Mini Cooper parked near the bright orange light pole. Can't wait to blast the heater and warm up!

Thank you Butch for the educational and informative swamp tour. We highly recommend the Cajun Country Swamp Tour to anyone visiting Louisiana!

---