Swamps

Cypress Tree

We found an interesting swamp tour near the Atchafalaya basin, the largest swamp in the US.  A road across it was only completed in 1973 when an 18 mile bridge routed I-10 across the swamp.  The basin is a combination of wetlands and river delta from the Atchafalaya River.

The tour was private, even though it was Saturday, probably because it was about 50 degrees.  What we didn't know was that swamp critters don't like to be cold either, so the pickins were slim.

We did learn that the trees were either cypress or tupelo gum.  They start like on dry land but can also survive in water once established.

Tupelo Gum Tree

Aside from a few birds, we only saw one gator and several snapping turtles sunning themselves.

Gator

Snapping Turtles