by Jennifer Campbell - Just Chasing Rabbits
One of the highlights of our trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast was a trip out into the Mississippi sound, off the coast of Biloxi, with the crew of the Biloxi Shrimping Trip. This informative tour lasts seventy minutes, taking visitors out on the water to learn how shrimp are caught and eventually brought to our dinner tables.
Captains David and Mike are friendly guys, engaging with every passenger, eager to share stories or answer questions. We felt right at home aboard the Sailfish with these two as well as Mike’s daughter, Lillie, and TJ the Boat Dog.
TJ, we soon learned, is quite the businessman. This black lab earns his keep by selling and delivering beverages to the boat’s passengers. On both levels! His little vest is filled with water, sodas, and beer, and he makes his way around to everyone downstairs and upstairs, trading the bottles and cans for dollar bills. TJ is quite the star of the show, but of course he is! Do you see that face? The very definition of “good boy.”
TJ and Lillie also sell handmade pet bandannas, benefiting a local vet/spay and neuter clinic. They’re only $2 apiece, and the money goes to a great cause. Did I mention TJ is a good boy?
After sailing out of the marina and making friends with the crew, the huge green net was finally pulled in to see what sea creatures we had caught on our short journey. The tour may be called the Biloxi SHRIMPING Trip, but we were taught about every single critter that came out of that net.
I especially loved watching the excited kids and the squeamish moms, often disagreeing over what should be touched and what shouldn’t. Our catch included shrimp, blue crabs, and even a flounder and pufferfish! Did you know that shrimp can lay up to a million eggs? Many of the babies don’t make it to adulthood because they are eaten by various predators.
After the net was emptied, the creatures were put into a glass fish tank. We were invited to get up close to peer inside the tank and view the animals, one by one, as they were pulled out of the tank and explained to us.
Once the explanation was over, the animals were thrown back to their watery home… though we had quite a few pelicans following us around. The pelicans are great at playing catch. Great situation for the pelicans, but not so much for the small critters.
This boating tour is great for everyone! We found the tour to be very educational, with easy-to-understand information, and also very entertaining. David and Mike kept our attention the whole time, providing us with some shrimp knowledge, great restaurant suggestions, and lots of laughs!
Adults and also families with kids will enjoy the experience. Even pets are allowed (as long as they’ll be nice to TJ!). If you enjoy boating or fishing, want to learn more about the shrimping industry or the animals of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, or if you just want to sit back, relax, and be entertained for awhile, the Biloxi Shrimping Trip is for you!
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