Blessed not to have been affected by the Gulf oil spill yet, the Barataria swamp and wetlands remain open to the Louisiana Swamp Tour.

The swamp tour offers visitors a chance to get in a noisy airboat or a slower, quieter and larger boat to cruise the swamp, looking at wildlife such as birds, alligators, turtles and snakes. The guides point out the houses of the people who make their living on these waters and the cemetery.

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, it did very little damage to the swamp and wetlands, although trees were knocked down and the wind blew everything out of them, according to Capt. Reggie Domanque. But business fell off because people weren’t coming to New Orleans. Hurricane Rita, which followed close after Katrina in 2005, flooded the swamp and the area, shutting down the tour. Not too long after it reopened, Hurricane Ike hit in 2008, causing worse damage and shutting it down again.

Captain Reggie, as he’s called, is a native of Barataria and has been a captain for 20 years for the Barataria swamp tour. The tour had seven captains before Katrina, and though business is picking up slowly, there are still only five captains.

On the tour with Captain Reggie, you get a chance to see alligators jump out of the water. He calls out “Ici!” — French for “here!” — and the alligators appear. He tosses them marshmallows, then dangles chicken necks. As the alligators jump for the necks, the tourists snap pictures. Captain Reggie warns that if you’re wearing all white clothing and he can’t find any alligators, he might toss you overboard to attract them – a giant marshmallow.

The Louisiana Swamp Tour was founded in 1989 by Ray Walker, the father of current owner Milton Walker Jr. With the recent Gulf oil spill, the people who live and work in the Barataria swamp and wetlands fear that the oil could make its way there. The Barataria swamp and wetlands are filled with wildlife that would be severely affected by the oil spill if it reaches them.

Captain Reggie said, “Everything depends on the water ’round here.” The people of the Barataria swamp get their fish, crabs and shrimp from the swamp. Some hunt gators, while others hunt deer on the marshy land.

Water almost killed the swamp a few years ago. Captain Reggie and those who depend on it hope oil won’t finish the job.

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