Honey Island | Pearl River

Although the alligators are real and the guide doesn’t carry or shoot a cap gun at an angry hippopotamus, the boat is not on a track and we don’t get to see the ‘backside’ of water as we glide behind the pretend falls…the swamp tours still have a little of the Disneyland “Jungle Cruise” feeling. Yes, the alligators are real, but also now know that the boatload full of curious “yankees” means food. No, not the passengers, the guide has a bag of marshmellows, and even that seems to downgrade any fears one might have of these creatures – marshmellows – couldn’t they be thrown some sort of meat? I suppose that a swamp tour without seeing an alligator would certainly be dissapointing – so, I guess this is all done to ensure everyone gets what they paid to see.
History:
Honey Island swamp is unique because it’s one of the least-altered river swamps in the country. It’s pretty much in its original condition, almost a pristine wilderness. The 250-square-mile Honey Island Swamp, nearly 70,000 acres of it is a permanently-protected wildlife area – the Nature Conservancy’s First Louisiana Nature Preserve.
Honey Island earned its name because of the honeybees once seen on a nearby island. A tract of bottomland timber lying between the East Pearl and West Pearl rivers, Honey Island is between three and seven miles wide and 15 to 20 miles long. It is located 50 minutes from New Orleans in Southeast Louisiana.
Tours:
One tip: the smaller the boat, the better. No cover, there is really a lot to see and not all of it swims. Blue Heron, Egret, Owl, Nutria [I believe this South American “rat” is now a State approved meat – much like the mystery meat pies you buy at an Australian sporting event.