Nutria: The Invasive Rodent Eating the Louisiana Swamp
You are ten minutes into a paddle, the water is glass, and something the size of a fat housecat slides off the bank and swims right across your bow. Round tail. Slow. Not bothered by you at all. Then it turns its head and you catch two front teeth the color of a traffic cone….
Birds of the Louisiana Swamp: A Paddler’s Guide
Most people come to the swamp for the gator. Fair enough. But if you sit still out here for two hours, the thing that actually fills the morning is birds. They’re everywhere. In the trees, on the snags, wading the shallows, cutting low across the pass. I guide these paddles, so I watch it happen…
Alligator vs Crocodile: What’s the Difference?
People ask me this one on the water almost every trip. Someone points at a gator sunning on a log and says, wait, is that an alligator or a crocodile? Fair question. The two animals get mixed up constantly, they show up in the same cartoons, and half the internet uses the words like they…
How Close Do You Get to Gators in a Kayak? No Bait Ever
The first time a wild gator surfaces a rod’s length off your bow, you go dead silent. Not because you’re scared. Because you don’t want to break it. That six-footer has no clue you’re there, and the only reason is that you came in on a kayak with no engine, no wake, nothing to warn…
Is it Safe to Kayak with Alligators?
When it comes to kayaking in the great outdoors, there are few experiences that can rival the sense of adventure and connection with nature it provides. Paddling through serene waters, taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape, and encountering wildlife can be truly exhilarating. However, if you’re considering kayaking in areas where alligators are…