Day 31, Sunday, October 21, Seaplane and Swamp boat

The boil water advisory is still in effect. Good thing we will be away all day!
At 7:30 we were ready to board the coach bus for a 2 hour drive to Southern Seaplanes in Venice, but it was deemed too windy to fly at present.
Our WM and TG's did some juggling and rearranged the day for us.




At 8:30 we were off to Jean Lafitte Swamp Boat Tours.

Arrived at 9:15 and boarded the pontoon boat.












We cruised along the canal (marsh)  with Jean Lafitte National Park on our left looking for alligators.
After a while, we left the marsh and entered the bayou.

The difference between a marsh and a bayou:
A marsh is an area of low, wet land, often with tall grass, while a bayou is a slow-moving, often stagnant creek or river.






We spotted 3, but it was hard to get a good picture. This one was sunning himself on a log.
There was a much bigger one in the water bur we could only see his head!









After about 45 minutes, we turned around to head back. The captain passed around a preserved gator head for us all to feel. After that, came an alligator snapping turtle shell. It has distinct ridges on its shell that are similar in appearance to the rough, ridged skin of an alligator.


He also brought out an 24 inch live gator for us to hold after instructing us how to hold it.





When we finished the boat cruise, it was off to the airport with "Plan B"




At 11:45, we arrived at Southern Seaplanes, in Belle Chasse where we enjoyed lunch of pizza instead of the planned box lunch at the original airport.
We were divided into 4 groups of 3 -4 people each (there were 4 planes, 2 would take off on land and 2 from the water). When the first group of 3 flights took off, we looked around the hangar, which was full of planes of various sizes.











When our turn came, we were taking off from the water (canal)!

What a rush! Today was unlimited visibility, which only happens about 20 days a year, according to our pilot! It was well worth the wait and change in plan.










Managed to get some great photos, but I don't have enough room to post them all! This shows the 'crescent' bend in the river and some barges. that is the reason New Orleans is named the Crescent City.








We landed on the canal after an amazing 40 minute flight, with the pilot giving narration, explaining what we were seeing and what has happened to the land over the years. Building the seawall was a huge mistake, but that is another story.

Back at the park, it was time for a celebration and Happy Hour after a super day. Larry brought out his "Harley Davidson" Margarita machine and a good time was had by all!