My family of five just got back from a trip that took us near New Orleans, Louisiana. Our destination was a beach house we rented on the Gulf of Mexico in coastal Mississippi. We were happy that the beach house was near New Orleans because not only did we get to visit this amazing city, we were fortunate to do The Cajun Encounters swamp tour. The boat ride swamp tour was outstandingly amazing! I totally recommend this swamp tour with Cajun Encounters. Read on to read my review and see our amazing wildlife photos and videos.
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I loved all the amazing animals we saw on the swamp tour. Our experience was so stellar on this tour, I can’t wait for you to scroll on and see all our fabulous pictures. We also shot some amazing videos of our tour guide feeding a wild boar, the gorgeous vegetation, and some cute wild raccoons. We were so pleased with how many animals we saw and with the gorgeous swamp foliage and flowers. It was fantastic!
The pictures and videos tell a great story!
Watch the full eight-minute video on YouTube https://youtu.be/ibRWM6rSmdw
Swamp Tour New Orleans Review
It was a grey cloudy day with the threat of rain imminent, but despite this, our tour was not ruined at all. We visited in March. However, we were quite happy the boat had a roof because it did rain on us while we were on the boat. The rain didn’t spoil our tour because the roof protected us from all but a bit of rain spray. It was in the sixties and when the boat went fast the wind was cool, so we were happy we had brought sweatshirts.
Our tour guide, Captain John, was an awesome, entertaining, and fun tour guide. He told us some fun stories about his time as a tour guide, what he has seen and done as a tour guide, and the history and facts of the area. The swamp tour is in the Honey Island Swamp, which encompasses about 70,000 acres. This Louisiana swamp is a stopping point for migratory birds and a haven of conservation. The main river is the West Pearl River near New Orleans.
Since it was close to the city, we planned a lunch there where we actually met up with some neighbor friends (at the Gumbo Shop) who were in New Orleans for spring break as well.
The tour offers potential views of alligators, bald eagles, Great Horned Owls, raccoons, wild boar, turtles, snakes, vultures, hawks, and many other birds. We did not see any river otter or the endangered black bear that also inhabit the swamp. You just never know what you will see as it’s pretty much up to chance and the time of year can also affect wildlife viewing potentials. We were very pleased with the number of animals we saw and how up close we got to them. We never felt in danger at any point during the swamp tour.
The Wildlife We Saw
We were quite fortunate to see many animals. I loved how up close we were able to get to some of them even while sitting in the boat. The tour guide had protein pellets that he tossed to the raccoons and the wild boar on the tour. The wild boar, named Peppa the Pig, was very entertaining. She came right up to the boat and opened her mouth for Captain John to toss the food into her mouth, which she’d crunch noisily. She was very tame, probably from all the tour interactions, and she even let him pat her snout. There are other wild boar living in the swamp as well.
We also saw alligators lounging on the shore and in the water. We saw turtles in the samp water. There were several snakes hanging out in trees.
There were many birds and we saw some hawks, white cranes, a Great Blue Heron, and other birds.
The raccoons were fun to see. We saw a group of black raccoons and blonde raccoons. They also have red raccoons in the swamp.
The Vegetation
The vegetation was gorgeous. It was early spring of course so the trees weren’t overrun with leaves yet. We enjoyed seeing beautiful white flowers and many purple irises. Some of the trees were draped with shrouds of Spanish moss giving the swamp a beautiful, but haunting feel.
Family-Friendly Swamp Tour New Orleans
The kids really enjoyed all getting a turn to drive the tour boat. We loved how family-friendly the tour was, especially this aspect. The tour guide was very family-friendly and made it fun for the whole family. We thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of our southern United States vacation.
It was also an educational experience as we learned about the swamp and how it provides a home to many wild animals and a pit-stop for many wild migratory birds.
To learn more about Cajun Encounters Tour Company click here: https://www.cajunencounters.com/
I hope you found this post on a swamp tour New Orleans helpful. I have several blog posts on family travel so snoop around my website and find more:)
Looking for another idea for a Gulf of Mexico Family vacation? https://www.juliehoagwriter.com/2019/03/28/gulf-of-mexico-oceanfront-vacation-rental-for-a-family-trip-to-florida/
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