When planning a New Orleans vacation, many tour ideas can spring to your mind (and to your computer screen). Touring old homes can teach us about how people before us lived as well as architecture. Food tours are a great way to dive face-first into a different culture. There are even ghost tours for those willing to brave the Crescent City’s spooky past. But no visit to the Bayou State is complete without taking one of the New Orleans swamp tours.
Learn Something New on New Orleans Swamp Tours
So, what exactly is a swamp? How exactly is it different from a bayou or a marsh or wetlands? You hear and see these words often while mapping your trip. Many people use this words interchangeably, and the mistake is harmless. But if you really want to be a stickler, here are the primary differences.
- Swamps are the wet, wooded lands where water remains standing for some months out of the year. Bald cypress trees are almost always there.
- Bayous are the (very) slow-moving waterways that flow through swamps. The current is barely noticeable. But, bayous can still be mistakenly called streams or rivers.
- Marshes can be freshwater, brackish, or saltwater. You can find them adjacent to rivers, pond, lakes, and coastlines.
- Wetlands are the broad term for land featuring rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps. Though it is ecologically correct, you don’t hear this term as often in Louisiana.
Meet Some True Characters
In Disney World, meeting a character involves waiting in a long line. Once you get to the front, you ask someone dressed up as Donald Duck for an autograph. On New Orleans swamp tours, meeting characters means something a bit wilder. Spot an alligator meandering through the slow-moving waters. Take in a heron or egret soaring gracefully above you. As far as mammals, nutria and raccoons might delight you with an appearance.
Laugh Your Way Along
On airboat swamp tours, you’re speeding through the swamps. You’re surrounded by beautiful, otherworldly scenery. How can that NOT elicit a laugh of joy? Another thing that might make you laugh? Your tour guides. We didn’t mention them in the paragraph above, but they are definitely characters. In some capacity, they are native creatures to the swamps too. All of them are expert airboat captains certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. They’ll guide you safely on your thrilling watery jaunt. And all the while sharing stories aplenty to entertain and educate.
Live It Up
Are you interested in this one-of-a-kind, bucket-list experience? Reach out to Airboat Adventures. Give us a call at 504-689-2005 or book online now. Did we mention we pick you up from your hotel? Since we’re handling all the logistics, a swamp tour adventure has never been more accessible. Once you’ve scheduled your visit, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep the excitement up.