Kayaking is a great way to see wildlife from a whole new perspective, especially when you’re kayaking where you’ve never been before! Down in Louisiana, which makes up 41% of the United States wetlands, you can kayak like you’ve never seen before. Through the swamps and bayous of historic New Orleans.
Wonder if there’s any treasure there?
Kayak tours are one of the fastest growing industries in Louisiana, with new businesses offering tours opening all the time. Some tours take you around the city, showing off the sights and the history, others take you into the swamps and bayous to show you the nature present there.
Some combine the two and teach you about the history that happened inside those wetlands!
Most people that partake in kayak tours are, understandably, tourists. Visitors from out of state or even out of the country. Louisiana had over 28.9 million visitors in 2015 and is projected to have nearly 31 million in 2019. That’s a lot of tourists!
Swamp kayak tours in New Orleans allow you to experience a side of the city and the wildlife that you never have before. Getting up close and personal in ways that you can’t otherwise do on motor boats, and the guides explain the in and outs of kayaking and what to expect in the swamps.
This up close and personal experience allows tourist to really explore Louisiana and it’s massive wetlands. Somewhere close to 11,000 sq mi of floodplains and 7,800 sq mi of coastal swamps, marshes, and estuaries. A tourist could kayak everyday for months and not see all there is to see!
But before you go out on a kayak swamp tour, you should probably do some research into the different providers, and the different things you can expect. It’s probably far different than kayaking down a river in the midwest, or across lakes and on the coast. Swamps are full of things to watch out for, and thankfully your guides will be with you.
They’ve done the tour a thousand or more times, or grown up in the area, and so have a deep familiarity with the local wildlife, and dangers that may or may not be present.
Above all though, you should take the time to enjoy and explore. Nature is beautiful, and kayaking allows you to see it in a unique way.
