Alligators and hogs and squirrels. Oh my! On a recent swamp tour, that's exactly what wriggled through the water and scurried on the banks in Manchac Swamp.

Nestled right off the highway in LaPlace, Cajun Pride Swamp Tours is a privately owned wildlife refuge that offers narrated swamp explorations through the bayou. The grounds are spacious with an office, gift shop, picnic tables and artifacts/informational signs to peruse.

Swamp tours are offered daily at 9:30 a.m., noon, 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Each tour lasts around an hour and 30 minutes, and the staff suggests arriving 15 minutes prior to the selected time slot.

Various artwork is displayed Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

Tickets start at $16 for children and $32 for adults ages 13 and up. Tip: if you book online , there is a $3 discount. Cajun Pride Swamp Tours even offers transportation from most New Orleans, Metairie and Kenner hotels.

In true Louisiana fashion, alcoholic beverages are available for purchase upon arrival. Yes, even at 9:30 a.m.

Each tour is led by a captain, and on a cool Saturday morning in May, Captain Danny led the "Cajun Lady" through the swamp and the moss-draped cypress trees. With a Cajun drawl and cheeky humor, he pointed out flora and fauna and offered insight into the culture and history of the Louisiana wetlands.

Daniel "Captain Danny" Bourgeois explains the rules of the boat before a swamp tour Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

"I wonder who the first person was to eat a raw oyster," he asked the wide-eyed patrons on the boat. "I bet it was one of those brother dares."

The first wildlife attraction on the tour was alligators, of course, but soon enough a family of wild hogs appeared on the banks. Captain Danny explained that the hogs are becoming a bit of a problem, as they're causing damage to the wetlands . Nonetheless, guests on the boat cooed when the boat drew closer.

"When they're babies, they look like little footballs with legs," Captain Danny said.

A graze of raccoons feast for breakfast during a swamp tour Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

Next, we stopped to greet and feed Rocky Raccoon. It was sitting on a wooden stoop — surely Rocky was used to the routine of being fed every day. As Captain Danny gathered the tin buckets of food, more raccoons gathered.

"Each one has a name. Y'all wanna know? Rocky, Rocky, Rocky and Rocky," he said.

The boat glided through the water as alligators swam, meandering around the "Cajun Lady." Captain Danny explained the tale of Julia Brown , a voodoo queen who supposedly put a curse on the town of Frenier, which caused a hurricane that killed many people. The boat cruised past a graveyard with a sign marked "1915" to represent Brown and the people who died.

Alligators bask in the sun near a graveyard that represents the tale of voodoo queen Julia Brown Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

At each attraction, Captain Danny made sure to let both sides of the boat see the swamp and its inhabitants. He also took time to let guests take photos or videos and answer questions.

I had a good chuckle when someone asked what kind of water we were in, to which Captain Danny responded, "the bayou."

To see so many people excited about the swamp made my heart sing. It made me, too, look at it with fresh eyes. For one, I've never seen so many alligators at once than I did on this tour. There were at least three around the boat at all times. At one point, Captain Danny gave the guests a visual of what would happen if we put our hands over the railings.

Three alligators approach a marshmallow on a stick during a swamp tour Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

Safety first.

He protruded a long stick above the water with a marshmallow at the end. About three alligators began swimming toward it until one peered up, opened wide and snapped it. If the children on the boat hadn't taken the rules seriously before, they sure did now.

Along the way, Captain Danny let other people throw marshmallows out to the gators. I wondered how many marshmallows these alligators ate in a day.

An alligator snaps a marshmallow from a stick during a swamp tour Saturday, May 4, at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace.

The whole charade felt like a Cajun play, and every animal had a part. Each one appeared when they were supposed to, and everyone was on their best behavior.

After the tour was over and we docked on land, I was bubbling. It was exciting to be a tourist in my own state.

A "Gone Swamping" sign hangs at Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in LaPlace Saturday, May 4.

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