Maurepas, Louisiana … is an unincorporated area, roughly 40 minutes west of New Orleans. It’s bordered by Maurepas Lake, a 93-square-mile circular, brackish estuary. The average depth of the lake is 10 feet, but in many places, it’s only two feet. There are four rivers feeding into it, and the surrounding, protected, Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is home to bald eagles, ospreys, pink spoonbills, alligators, and dozens of other species.

We booked a tour with … Wild Louisiana Tours. They offer a range of options, including kayak excursions. I chose their four-hour photo tour, which happens either at sunset or at dawn. Josh, our guide, met us on a small dock in one of the tributaries, at 5pm. We cruised in his small, flat-bottomed boat, to a spot where he began pushing us by pole, until we were deep in the cypress thickets. We were surrounded on all sides by swamp, listening to the hum of nature, watching tiny insects skim the water. Then, we motored over to the lake for one of the best sunsets of my life. On our tour, we saw two other small fishing vessels. The rest of it was serene, empty wilderness. We watched osprey dive for fish and saw six alligators floating. I spotted a Great Horned Owl, but he took off too fast for my shutter. We watched the sun sink into ink, enjoying the cool evening breeze. I was actually surprised. Even on June 12th, it wasn’t that hot once you got out in the boat.

The alligator populations … are very healthy. Since the endangered wildlife bills passed in the 1960s, these creatures have been protected. Newly born gators are at the highest risk. They are regularly captured, taken from the water to safe tanks, and then allowed to grow into a size big enough to survive in the wild. The program has been a huge success. Today, there are an estimated two-million wild alligators in the waterways and swamps of Louisiana. We saw at least six on our adventure.

If you’re going to book a swamp experience, book with this outfitter. No Disney-esque guide tossing marshmallows to gators or plucking babies from the water, as you cram in with 10 other sweaty people from Nebraska. This is you, a guide and a boat, Mother Nature and, yes, mosquitos. This is real Louisiana; her wild, tangled beauty and her dinosaurs and raptors, up close.

Here are my captures from the tour.

All images are available for purchase.

Contact me directly for pricing … or head to my page at Where Y’Art Gallery for a small collection.

This last one is my personal favorite, Empress of It All