Fresh off a record Arctic row, Hannah Huppi joins New Orleans residents marveling at the bayou’s largest gator, as experts urge caution around the growing presence.
NEW ORLEANS — If you’ve been around Bayou St. John lately, you may have noticed a new resident, or you may have seen the social media videos of at least one, large alligator making the rounds.
Hannah Huppi recently made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Along with former Saints’ player Jimmy Graham, a U.S. Navy SEAL, and her husband, they rowed across the Arctic Ocean in record time.
“We saw whales, beluga whales. We rode over a walrus, which was definitely a highlight for me,” remembers Hannah Huppi.
And since she’s been back home in New Orleans, she is seeing this.
“We’ve rowed here for like the last 10 years probably and we’ve seen a lot of gators, but this is definitely the biggest alligator we’ve seen. It used to be kind of a rare, exciting thing to see an alligator in Bayou St. John,” said Huppi.
And Hannah isn’t the only one. Multiple videos have surfaced on social media in recent days, like one taken by Jon Lester near the walking bridge near Cabrini High School. The students use the bayou for multiple classes like rowing, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Coach Nancy Walsh has explained to them to not fear, but respect the wildlife’s territory.
“What I teach my students is if we’re in a 10-foot kayak and an alligator is six feet, he doesn’t want anything to do with you because he’s looking at you as the aggressor. They want a fish. They want a duckling,” explained Coach Nancy Walsh, the Cabrini PE and Lifetime Activities coach.
She explains to them not to go near a potential nest, which is usually a mound of vegetation a couple of feet high.
Alligator expert Trapper John says never feed them. Wild alligators don’t like to go around people and of course don’t get close, especially if it is looking at you and following you.
“Both times recently I’ve seen it going out towards the lake and booking it, moving pretty fast. I probably wouldn’t paddle board with a small dog, but other than that I feel plenty safe out here,” said Huppi.
“I would be more worried about the predators that are on the internet than the predators that are in this bayou. If my girls are afraid to come on this bayou, then they’re going to miss out on a lot of fun,” said Walsh.
Some who live along the bayou say they have noticed fewer ducks and nutria, which are a food source for alligators.
If the gators become a nuisance or danger, call the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at 800-256-2749 OR 225-765-2800.
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