Wrangell Narrows and Petersburg
As the National Geographic Sea Lion continued her way north this morning, we passed through the scenic and winding channel of Wrangell Narrows. The Narrows runs 22 miles long and separates Kupearnof Island to the west and Mitkof Island to the east. It is a difficult passage for ships to navigate through and has over 70 directional markers to steer boats around shallow or rocky areas. As we watched from the upper decks of the National Geographic Sea Lion, we saw numerous bald eagles perched atop the tall markers and scanned the shoreline for signs of wildlife. After breakfast, we docked alongside Alaskan fishing boats in the small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island. Petersburg was settled by a Norwegian homesteader named Peter Buschmann in the early 1900’s, who saw the potential for a year-round fishing industry in the surrounding productive waters. The town has since flourished into a prosperous fishing town of 3,100 inhabitants with a strong Norwegian heritage. Today, approximately $22 million of seafood is processed there each year.
We had several options for activities in Petersburg this morning. Across Wrangell Narrows on Kupearnof Island there is a network of trails showcasing the mossy understory, towering Sitka Spruce, and open peat bogs of the temperate rainforest. We had the opportunity to walk along Alaskan boardwalks in our rubber boots, listening to the songbirds and exploring the diversity of the thriving forest floor. Other guests enjoyed a 45-minute float plane ride above the LeConte Glacier or Stikine River where they had a birds-eye view of the beautiful ice fields. We also had the use of a dozen mountain bikes to explore town or wander farther afield, and many simply appreciated the warm weather and blue skies by strolling around town and visiting the shops.
We all returned to the ship in the afternoon and during lunch, after we took on 3,500 gallons of water, 75 pounds of Dungeness crab, 7 cans of bear mace and 45 gallons of fuel for the Zodiacs, we made our way out of Wrangell Narrows and into Frederick Sound. We spent the remainder of the afternoon in search of wildlife. A humpback whale was spotted off the starboard side at the 4:00 position. It remained elusive, however, and we continued our way northwest, past the Five Finger Lighthouse, eventually entering Chatham Strait on our way to Sitka.
