Here on the Lafourche bayou about an hour southwest of New Orleans, the Cajun people have passed along shrimp trawling as a way of life for generations. We have timed our visit for the Blessing of the Fleet, an annual tradition at the start of the shrimping season intended to ensure a bountiful harvest and safety on the water.

A dozen wooden boats decorated in American flags, blue and orange banners boasting “Shrimp,” and metallic streamers parade proudly up and down the 100 foot-wide channel, an offshoot of the Mississippi River. Each is crowned with scaffolding that resembles two giant ladders with bars connecting them. These structures support trawling, or dragging of weighted nets across the ocean and bayou floor in order to catch the shrimp that live there.* A Filipino Catholic priest stands at the bow of the lead boat, chanting prayers and asking for God’s blessings.

We ride on the lead boat as well, taking pictures and talking to the locals crowded aboard. The people are as colorful as their boats, with thick, twangy accents that sound more Bostonian than Southern. Many of the older generation still speak French, as the Cajun’s ancestors first immigrated to this area from Nova Scotia in the French-speaking part of Canada. They’re obviously proud of their unique culture—and the fact that they contribute significantly to the 40 percent of US seafood supplied from Louisiana’s waters.

“We’re not American, we’re Cajun,” says Scott, a shrimper in his mid-40s with the clean-cut look of Harry Potter grown up. “We love food, we love our families, we love the church, and we love to fish.”

“Fishing means freedom,” our boat captain Terry tells us. His deeply lined face traces a lifetime on the water. “The roar of the engine is like music to our ears.”

Scott concurs. “When we get tired of being on land, we go out. We say, ‘I don’t know where I’ll go or when I’ll get back.’”

Sadly, the Cajun way of life is gradually dying out due to pressure from a number of factors, all related to water. The land is rapidly sinking because Louisiana’s wetlands have been nearly destroyed. Hurricanes, which are growing increasingly frequent and powerful due to climate change, threaten to wipe the town off the map. And local young people are leaving for jobs in big cities in part because the Dead Zone is eradicating the Gulf of Mexico’s shrimp supplies.

When the boat parade comes to an end, everyone files directly into the Catholic church at the bayou’s edge for mass. An hour later, the church doors swing open and 200 of the warmest, most enthusiastic people we’ve ever met pour into the recreational hall for the celebratory feast. We excitedly join them. A five-piece band plays everything from French Cajun classics to modern Nashville hits as the crowd devours vast quantities of barbequed meats, potato salad, and fried pork rinds. “What happened to the vegetables?” MeiMei asks.

“It’s time for desert!” Sybil, the head chef, says, guiding us to three tables stacked high with sweets. Ben enjoys the chocolate cake. Jos loves the bread pudding.

It’s not time to go home yet, though. A sprite 75-year-old man walks up to me and demands, “Young lady, you come here now!” We do a Cajun jig while the crowd watches. Then Ali and Duff join in, learning the steps to a line dance. By the end of the song, we’re all in hysterics.

We head out the door floating on a cloud of well-wishes, hugs, huge smiles, and sincere invitations to come back soon. Duff carries an enormous paper bag that Sybil has given him at the last minute.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“More dessert!” he replies with a grin.

*Trawling can cause significant environmental damage to the ocean floor, and shrimping generates wasted by-catch. But that’s a story for another time. Industrial fisheries do far more harm than these individual operators. Fishing and shrimping are regulated by the government to make them as least damaging as possible, so American shrimp are less harmful than shrimp from other countries. New, sustainable practices also are starting to be implemented.