Will I see alligators year-round? Will I be safe? What about mosquitos? Thousands of people visit Alligator Bayou each year, and many of them are kind enough to send thank-you letters. Here are a few of our favorites.

Welcome to our Alligator Snapping Turtle Pond.


The Alligator Snapping Turtle Pond is one of the many ways we are protecting threatened species while replenishing the swamp.

Visitors are amazed by our ancient and huge alligator snapping turtles, which range in size from 60 to 125 pounds. Their home is a 2800-gallon concrete pool designed by local sculptor Craig Black and owner Frank Bonifay to provide a friendly habitat for the animals and maximum visibility for our guests.

You will also see garfish, snakes, other native turtles and a few more surprises during our entertaining and educational turtle show.

This breeding pond is heated in winter and cooled in summer, and features a biological filtration system to keep the habitat healthy. A wooden walkway around the pond enables visitors (and especially young children) to easily see and enjoy these amazing swamp creatures.

Alligator Bayou winds into the 13,000-acre Spanish Lake Basin and a wetland habitat of bayous, swamps and lakes. This unique tour will take you deep into the heart of Louisiana swamps.
Walk through our 6 acre alligator eco-habitat, see our huge alligator snapping turtles in their habitat complete with frogs, fish and a few surprises, plus we've got cajun cottages, canoe rentals, gift shop and more.
The colors and textures of the swamp are some of the most amazing scenes you will ever see.
Stop by and shop for awhile. Located in the Alligator Bayou Bait Shop (and complete with snake and gator exhibits), the Duck's Nest Shoppe features unique, one-of-a-kind gifts made by Louisiana craftspeople.
Our bayou-side pavilion is the perfect place for your "fais do do." Let us design a unique and unforgettable wedding, banquet or party, with or without a swamp tour.
Louisiana's most historic wetlands habitat is the perfect place to learn about and celebrate history, biology and swamp ecology.
Located in Louisiana's Plantation Country, the Spanish Lake Basin is bordered by Bayou Manchac, an Indian short-cut from the Mississippi River to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1993, the co-owners of Alligator Bayou Tours learned that hundreds of acres of bottomland hardwoods in the Spanish Lake Basin would be cut for lumber. This valuable habitat was saved by Frank Bonifay, Jim Ragland and community members working in cooperation with local, state and federal government.
Read our newsletter
Email Your Photos Of The Snapping Turtle Pond!!!

Return to the Attractions Page



Swamp ToursPhotosEducational ToursGift Shop Cottage RentalsAlligator Eco-habitat
GatorGazette NewsletterWhat Others SayParties and Events QuestionsFind UsHome

© 2005 Alligator Bayou Tours