de la Houssaye's Louisiana Swamp Tours video

Louisiana Swamp Tours Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas and welcome to the frozen Louisiana swamp!

As you can see in the photo below taken at about 7AM today,

 there is frost on this seedling cypress tree and the swamp water is frozen, but don't jump to conclusions, I will be doing Louisiana Swamp tours after noon today starting at 1PM and 3 PM.

 

You are eating turkey until afternoon, the duck hunters are enjoying this great weather duck hunting weather in the AM, and if we have sunshine and 60'+ temps we will be seeing some gators in PM!

 

 

The sunsets this time of year are great,

 

 

 

 

and if you make a reservation for the 3PM trip,

you might see something like this photo below,

 

because Lake Martin is home to the largest rookery of wading birds in North America.

 

 

And if birds nest here in the spring they must roost here year round.

 

I am Marcus de la Houssaye,

and if you come to de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours,

for a holiday tour, I will be the swamp man driving the boat.

 

 

I will be doing Lake Martin Swamp tours everyday during this last week of 2013,

usually starting at 1 and 3 PM.

 

                                    You can call me to make a reservation at: 337 298 2630

de la Houssaye's Louisiana Alligator Swamp Tours

de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours April 17, 2011

A Lake Martin Myth?

It is interesting to me that nothing is what it seems to be,
or as they say; "truth is stranger than fiction".

So if you don't believe this, I don't blame you...

A guest came on my Lake Martin swamp tour and reported seeing something we have not seen for a while.

These are photos of animals in captivity...

But historically, these black jaguars were hunted here and a few are still around today.

My guest reported seeing an eight foot long solid black cat cross the road on LA 353 on the west side of Lake Martin in broad daylight.

Although we don't have a trail camera photo yet, reported sightings have been coming in for decades.

This big cat is an example of what is so special about the diversity of wildlife at Lake Martin.

The photo below was taken in the Lake Martin area

                                         Barred Owl ~ photo by Bety Berard

                                  If you would like to visit Lake Martin and do a Louisiana swamp tour,

 

 

I am Marcus de la Houssaye and

                                             I can be reached by phone at 337 298 2630

Louisiana Swamp Tours and The Drama At Lake Martin!

There is an enemy of EVERYONE(human and wildlife) at Lake Martin, and I am responsible for starting him I in the business of swamp tours about 15 years ago.

Recently his misadventures have begun to catch up with him, as you can see if you go to the link below:

http://theadvocate.com/home/7336689-125/cruelty-charge-against-swamp-tour

I have been biting my tongue on this one for far too long, as it is starting to hurt, so here we go:

Recently some of my guests passed by Bryan Champayne's wharf/hot dog stand/bar/swamp tours and inquired if they knew where de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours is located(actually about 1/4 mile away). The reply was that they never heard of Marcus de la Houssaye, and Champayne's Swamp Tours was the "only" swamp tour on Lake Martin.

Well here is a sign that was recently put up in front of Champayne's Swamp Tours:

 

Now... notice that the phone number matches Champayne's business,

not Le Blanc's

 

so what is happening?

 Well Champayne's plan is to deceive the public and steal Le Blanc's business but putting a deceptive sign in front of Champagnes wharf!

 

And here is a photo of some of more Champagne's handywork:

 

He loosened the bolts on my trailer hitch while I was parked in Lake Martin landing.

 

 

Now how do I know it is Champayne?

 Well I have him on a security video in the parking lot next to my truck at the time that this occurred, but the problem is we have 2 incidents where my tires were cut in the boat landing, and in the same 90 day period there were also 2 incidents where my trailer hitch bolts were loosened, and you can see the results in the photo above.

 

So why isn't he being prosecuted? Well his cousin was the sheriff for about 25 years, so he grew up with the presumption that he can "get away" with anything. And he knows that we are video taping the landing at lake Martin, so he blocks the cameras with his truck while he does the dirty deed or he tries to sneak in by boat, when he intends to vandalize my truck. I have caught him walking away from my vehicle with a tire tool in hand on several occasion when he was loosening the lugs on the front tire of my truck when it was parked in the landing.

 

 

When contacted by a newspaper reporter at the Morning Advocate on Tuesday, Champagne said only that “it didn’t happen.”

 

 

 

Although Bryan Champagne denied possessing a baby alligator illegally, and was quoted by the newspaper article claiming: "it never happened", you can see in the You tube video below that Bryan lied to the newspaper writer and regularly unlawfully handles baby alligators while n tour.

 

 

Cool Autumn Swamp Tours

The water is down in Lake Martin and the Cypress Island Swamp,

and that is typical of the end of summer and early fall,

but one of the best parts about October is natural air conditioning.

 

 

 

 

 

The temps should be in the 50's at night and upper 70's, maybe lower 80's for the daytime max!

 

The high clouds this time of year makes for great photography at sunrise and sunset,

and you can even do nite time full moon over the swamp photos as seen below,

 

 

but.... the #1 best part about October,

 

 

 as you can see above and below, the Bald Eagles are back!

 

 

 

 

                     The lower water levels are bringing a lot of the birds out to feed, as seen below.

 

The alligators are still cruising around, as seen below,

 

 

and so all of the above are happening this time of year,

but if you are wanting to see alligators, get it now, they will start to hide soon.

 

 

 

All of the above photos above are copyrighted and courtesy of Claude Nall.

 

So... if you are coming to Louisiana looking for a Cajun Country Swamp Tour,

 

I am Marcus de la Houssaye,

 

I am here to serve you 7 days a week, but I don't do tours everyday.

 

Why?

 

Well, my tours are by reservation only, because if you don't have a reservation,

I might be fishing for alligator garfish with one of my old timer fishing buddies as seen below! 

 

 

 

If you need more info, or would like to make a reservation, you can call me at 337 298 2630.

 

 

I was swamp people before it was a TV show,

and I will be the man driving the boat when you come to do a 

 

de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours

 

 

 

 

Cool Autumn Louisiana Swamp Tours

Louisiana Swamp Tours are doing great in 2013 with lots of birds,

 

 

such as this Black Crowned Night Heron below,

and in some sense of a normal return to south Louisiana summer time weather,

as seen below, we have had a lot of afternoon thunderstorms.

 

 

 

 

It was a great summer for Swamp People TV fans looking for the real and genuine

swamp experience in the Breaux Bridge and Lafayette area!

 

                                          A Wood Stork in a Bald Cypress on Lake Martin


                           Of course everyone wants to see alligators up close and personal!

 

Do you like this one above with the damsel fly on its head?

 

So....

 

 

 

It has been really hot since mid August and I have enjoyed the break, as it produced a great need for a

 

 

 

 change of scenery,

 

 

 

and I have to confess the change was good, as seen below.

 

 

That's 2 redfish and 2 flounders(halibut)

 

It has been a great summer with lots of great flowers

on Lake Martin as seen below.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in making a reservation for a Louisiana Swamp Tour,

 

 

 

or you would just like more info,

you can call me on my cell phone at 337 298 2630.

 

I am Marcus de la Houssaye, swamp tour guide extradinaire,

 

 

 

and if you come to do my tours @ de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours,

 

 

I will be the man driving the boat.

 

 

I was swamp people before it was a TV show!

 

 

 

 

Do you want a little better close up on that?

 

 

 

 

 

Is it real?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is for real and thanks to Wolfgang Hasenstein for the 3 photos above from 2005

 

                                                              American Lotus in bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

If you just can't call and need to contact me by text, for a reservation,

or more info, my cell phone number is 337 298 2630

 

But just so you know, I do not text people unless they can't call

 

If you are thinking of coming next month for a tour,

 I might recommend checking out Festival Acadian in Gerard park Lafayette, La.

Scheduled for 11, 12, 13 of October 2013

 

 

Louisiana Swamp Tours In August

 

Below are photos of roosting birds common at sunset in the rookery at Lake Martin

 

 

 

 

 

And....with all the new hatched Ibis and immature herons it looks like snow covered trees...

 

 

Below are Rosette Spoonbills

 

 

de la Houssaye's Swamp Tours

 

 

 

With the 95' temperatures this summer several of the tour guides at Lake Martin

myself included, are doing morning tours and "maybe" a sunset tour about 5:30 PM.

The coolest time to do a tour in August is sunrise,

 

 

then another at 8 and maybe again at 10 AM.

 

This time of year we have lots of flowers, dragon flies, and though there are many alligators in Lake Martin due to the heat we do not see many(except at sunrise and sunset), so we are until further notice, discontinuing the tours in the heat of the day(noon-5PM).

 

As usual, I recommend you call for tour information, AND MAKE A RESERVATION!

 

You can call me at 337 298 2630