Ideal Cove and Petersburg
We awoke to a typical misty Alaskan day, with the morning exercise class happily stretching inside the warmth of National Geographic Sea Lion lounge. The morning activities landed us at Ideal Cove, which is a special place situated at the southern end of Frederick Sound on Mitkof Island. Various walks included an aerobic hike far into the cove to inland lakes and scenic stops along the way. Natural history staff led others for a closer perspective of this wonderful example of a temperate rain forest. The lushness and moisture enhanced the verdant greenness and coaxed out creatures like slimy slugs and wide-eyed nature seekers. This beautiful preserve, part of the Tongass National Forest, is especially appreciated by those of us from the Southwest, presently challenged by numerous forest fires.
Naturalist, David Stephens, enlightened us with an informative talk about the indigenous people of Southeast Alaska. His talk featured a slide show of the artistic elements of their culture like the dances, potlatches, canoe-making, weavings and masks. It also included real examples of the woodcarving, some that he created. The bounty of the salmon harvest afforded them the time for their arts and crafts, not having to worry about food supply the whole year.
Afternoon took us to colorful and historic Petersburg, a successful commercial fishing town founded by the entrepreneur named Peter Buschmann at the turn of the century. He realized that there could be a successful fishery because of the location with the nearby LaConte Glacier, which supplied an endless supply of ice for shipping to places as far away as California. Today, the marina that we docked at is filled with fishing vessels of all sizes, proof of the success of this still flourishing fishing community. Flight plane excursions, muskeg walks, biking and exploring the town of Petersburg were all part of our leisurely afternoon fun.
A representative from Southeast Alaska Conversation Council (SEACC) spoke at recap of the importance of conserving wildlife in the Tongass National Forest, as well as sustainable use of the forest resources. Guests had the opportunity to become a member of one of the two organizations that Lindblad Expeditions supports, this being one of them.
