Who Dat Swamp Thing.

A Fish Babe’s aquatic heart wants what it wants, so naturally I hustled my friends into taking a bayou airboat tour with me. Louis Hatty III was our swamp-worthy captain and guide. He grew up right on the waterways of Jean Lafitte and Barataria, LA. 

Lou is an expert in hunting, fishing, trapping and frog catching. He is also very funny and knows a whole lot about Cajun culture and the natural history of the bayou. Did you know that when alligators are stressed their heart rate can drop to as low as 1 beat per minute? They also can maintain life force barely breathing and will refrain from eating for up to 2 years! These incredible survival techniques may have helped them stick around since the time of the dinosaurs.

Holding this little 4 year old guy made my day.
He was soft like silk and had was way more docile than my kitten Dickie.

We cruised and cruised some more...

Per recommendation from Louis, we ended up at des Familles eating gumbo and turtle soup. Turtle soup is a doozey. It is a potent, gravy-like substance heavily infused with something strong and spicy, probably nutmeg. Locals like to pour sherry on top to complete the brew, not for the faint of heart. Turtle meat is mealy and dark, its closest resemblance that I can think of would be ground turkey.

BON APE-TURTLE!

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

Last stop of my first night in NOLA was the oldest bar in town: Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

The illustrious Angel (AWn -JEL) was tearing it up on her piano.

Bayou Nights Part 1

We started of the night near the house we are renting in Bywater. Driving into town we noticed that everyone was painted up like dead Mexican ghouls. It was the Day of the Dead Parade! After stopping for a huge drink at Markey's Bar we were invited to a party, of course because we are so cool.

Here is Lester Disaster, he gave me some of his mushroom whiskey.

They had a skull piñata and a bone to crack it with...

Gabe the Fish Babe: SHRAAAMP Cocktail.

Hahaha nets are so funny

Tonight I fly non-stop economy class to the Bayou where the Mighty Mississippi meets the Gulf of Mexico. I am headed down to New Orleans to see for myself the land of the great white shrimps. Nola Fish Babe countin' her shramps. I adore all shrimps, they are some of the finest fruits of the sea. They must be cooked perfectly and they must be of the finest quality 'cause when you do it right, bada bing-bada boom, you just made 1,000 new friends. Shrimp differ primarily from their amigos the lobs and the crabs because they prefer to swim rather than crawl. They shed their exoskeleton periodically in order to maintain a silky smooth Gucci Mane. White shrimps are not overfished and overfishing of white shrimps is not occurring in the Gulf. The fishery is also working on ways to avoid bycatch of more delicate species such as the American Red Snapper. White shrimp are in season in the Lousiana coastal zone until mid to late December. After that they are harvested primarily from the abyss of the Gulf of Mex. Did you know that only 10% of shrimp that is consumed in the USA is domestic? That's a damned shame. Find out where the hell your shrimp comes from before you buy it.     Support Gulf Fisheries, real 'Merican traditions!  Help! She needs your support! I will be back in the city next week to report my findings, until then stay tuned into www.gabethefishbabe.com Photo of me with net courtesy of Erika Rojas Photography