Sure, the swamps are full of egrets, herons, turtles, nutria and other exotic creatures, but people go to see the gators.
In the heat of summer, the alligators are quite active and not the least bit shy about swamp boats. Whether it’s instinct or wishful thinking, they will check out a boat to see if a meal is involved. While not the predators that sharks are commonly portrayed as in the movies, alligators will eat any chance they get. But since they are reptiles and have very low metabolism, they hunt mostly through stealth, gliding through the water with just their nostrils and eyes poking above the surface, or they lie in waiting and see what happens by. They don’t have much energy for a chase, but once they get their jaws on something, it’s a meal.
The swamps of Louisiana are unique in the United States, with or without gators. So the excursions provide many interesting insights into the natural world and some of the folklore of cultures that have lived in the region.