Mallards in a cypress swamp, Calcasieu River, Louisiana

© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures

Mallards in a cypress swamp, Calcasieu River, Louisiana

From spooky mood lighting to gloomy mist and shadows, this cypress swamp in southern Louisiana certainly knows how to do Halloween right. It’s part of the Calcasieu River, which begins in Vernon Parish and meanders 200 miles southward to the Gulf of Mexico, passing through the city of Lake Charles along the way. Look closely at this pic and you’ll spot a pair of mallards on their evening swim, seemingly unbothered by the creepy vibe. Or perhaps as the saying goes, they’re calm on the surface, but paddling frantically underneath.