alligators and airboats

alligator about 1.2 metres long

our airboat

alligator near our airboat

swimming past us

swamps

very different scenery

baby alligator, 2 years old

blue claw crab

Saturday 8th October 2011

Today we were leaving New Orleans to travel to Pensacola Florida.  Before we were leaving we were doing an airboat tour in the swamp area south of the city.  We booked in for a 12.00pm tour as it was about an hour drive from the motel.

We actually booked a 16 seat airboat as the 6 seat ones were half as much again.  When we arrived they bumped us to a smaller boat as they had a group of 15 that wanted to stay together.  So we ended up with a bit more personal tour.  There was an alligator on display at the office area and he was pretty chilled.

The aiboat ride went for 1hour 40 minutes and took us all around the swamp area looking for gators.  We stopped in one spot and the driver turned off the engine.  There was a small alligator about 4 years old apparently that swum up to our boat.  The driver had a bag of white marshmallows that he threw into the water.  The alligator loved the marshmallows, he swum around the boat and you could have almost touched him if you wanted.

We travelled a bit further and stopped at another spot.  the driver pulled out a small alligator that he had on board for us to all have a hold.  He was really chilled and was quite excepting of human contact.  He was one of 6 rescued when the mother alligator abandoned her young.

We went out to the lake area and stopped at a crab net.  The driver pulled the net in and yes it contained a blue claw crab.  Bronte held the crab and no one else on the boat wanted to.

After the tour we travelled back to the city and then crossed the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain.  The causeway is 24 miles straight across the lake and was kind of weird.  2.5 hours later and after crossing Mississippi, Alabama and into Florida we arrived at Pensacola.  Went out for dinner at Cracker Barrel which is meant to be famous for home cooked meals.  The food was very nice and we left there with full bellies.  Tomorrow we head to Memphis to see Graceland.

causeway 24 miles long

mississippi welcome centre