Gray Line Swamp and Bayou Tour
The Alligators Swim out to Greet You

This 3.75 (including travel time) swamp and bayou tour will give you a close encounter with nature and a look at the timeless beauty of the remote wetlands surrounding New Orleans.

Aboard their comfortable house boats, native guides will reveal the mysteries of the swamps and bayous. Moving quietly through the Jean Lafitte Nation Historical Park you will be able to observe the nesting grounds of alligators, egrets, raccoons, nutria and many species of snakes. The banks of the canal, densely covered with local flora, occasionally open up to reveal the remains of remote cabins once used by nameless locals for a variety of purposes. You can only wonder why these recluse residents chose to live in the depths of the lonely and mysterious swamp.

I have not spent much time in swamps or bayous anywhere in the world, but the remote Louisiana wetlands are fascinating, quiet and mysterious. The trip will greatly enhance your knowledge of why our wetlands are disappearing and what man is doing to restore this vital habitat. The boat, as it moves soundlessly through the water, does nothing to disturb the wild creatures either on the shore or in the water.

The publicity guarantees that you will see alligators during the warm months. We saw so many alligators that we knew it was not a coincidence that they would swim out to meet the boat and trail along behind us. We were told that at one time…but not now…the alligators were fed marshmallows to entice them to come close. I am not sure why they continued this rather unusual activity, but it was appreciated by the 30 or so guests on the boat. I was constantly pointing my camera at the beautiful waterway or trying to capture the elusive wildlife.

Our guide performed a trick that was definitely not part of the natural behavior of an alligator. He whistled as we moved along and at one point an alligator swam to the side of the boat. The intrepid guide swooped his arm into the water and raised a fairly large alligator completely out of the water. I refuse to believe that that alligator was in any way trained or even especially singled out by the guide. In an effort to entice him closer, the guide floated a white ball that may or may not have been mistakes for a marshmallow by the alligator. He repeated the process several times, grabbing the creature behind the jaws, so that everyone could get a picture. The animal was in no way harmed, nor was the guide.

The tours have been featured on Showtime, Fox Sports and Entertainment Tonight. It is suggested that reservations for the tour be made at least 24 hours in advance because many tours fill quickly. The tours are one of the activities that are recommended by the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Contact information: www.graylinneworleans.com/swamp.shtml. Tickets are available from the Steamboat Natchez Grayline Ticket Office Toulouse Street Wharf behind Jax Brewery