Frederick Sound
We had an amazing sight as we woke up and looked out the window this morning. The Sea Bird was slowly cruising among icebergs in every direction! We were in LeConte Bay, with its steep slopes covered by rainforest. This fjord was filled with thousands of icebergs of every size and shape that broke off from the nearby LeConte glacier.
After breakfast, we cruised in the Zodiacs between the icebergs. Only then did we realize how large icebergs are, with some getting up to thirty feet above sea level. Since about 90% of the bergs are below the water, that made the bergs the size of office buildings! Many of the icebergs were an intense blue color, which occurs in pure bubble-free ice as a result of sunlight colors being unequally absorbed by the water molecules, thus allowing only blue light to escape. The photograph shows one of these blue icebergs highlighted against the dark forested mountains.
As we were cruising out of LeConte fjord, we spotted a complete surprise. There were six orcas, or killer whales, out there! Two orcas swam rapidly toward the icebergs, whereas four of them lagged behind. We all got a good view of these magnificent animals, with their large dorsal fins slicing through the water, as they passed by our ship. After a while, they too swam toward the icebergs and out of sight. Wow.
In the afternoon, we went ashore in Petersburg for a variety of activities. Several folks went flightseeing on helicopters to a nearby glacier, where they walked around on the ice. Many of us went on Zodiacs across the harbor in order to hike with the naturalists. The trail went through the forest and turned into a boardwalk across a muskeg bog, a unique environment that forms where sphagnum moss and water accumulate in cool climates. We saw many plants that only grow in a muskeg due to the high water and acid levels, such as bog orchids, Labrador tea, dwarfed shore pines, and amazing carnivorous sundews.
Petersburg was a fascinating fishing town, with hundreds of fishing boats lining the harbor. Several people took a city tour. There were several fish packing plants with workers going in and out. The city displayed its Norwegian heritage, with a Viking ship and Norwegian folk designs on buildings and sidewalks. The main street had several shops for the local population, although there were a few gift and art shops scattered around the town. During dinner, the Sea Bird left Petersburg harbor and cruised north up Frederick Sound. Another fantastic day in Southeast Alaska has ended.
We had an amazing sight as we woke up and looked out the window this morning. The Sea Bird was slowly cruising among icebergs in every direction! We were in LeConte Bay, with its steep slopes covered by rainforest. This fjord was filled with thousands of icebergs of every size and shape that broke off from the nearby LeConte glacier.
After breakfast, we cruised in the Zodiacs between the icebergs. Only then did we realize how large icebergs are, with some getting up to thirty feet above sea level. Since about 90% of the bergs are below the water, that made the bergs the size of office buildings! Many of the icebergs were an intense blue color, which occurs in pure bubble-free ice as a result of sunlight colors being unequally absorbed by the water molecules, thus allowing only blue light to escape. The photograph shows one of these blue icebergs highlighted against the dark forested mountains.
As we were cruising out of LeConte fjord, we spotted a complete surprise. There were six orcas, or killer whales, out there! Two orcas swam rapidly toward the icebergs, whereas four of them lagged behind. We all got a good view of these magnificent animals, with their large dorsal fins slicing through the water, as they passed by our ship. After a while, they too swam toward the icebergs and out of sight. Wow.
In the afternoon, we went ashore in Petersburg for a variety of activities. Several folks went flightseeing on helicopters to a nearby glacier, where they walked around on the ice. Many of us went on Zodiacs across the harbor in order to hike with the naturalists. The trail went through the forest and turned into a boardwalk across a muskeg bog, a unique environment that forms where sphagnum moss and water accumulate in cool climates. We saw many plants that only grow in a muskeg due to the high water and acid levels, such as bog orchids, Labrador tea, dwarfed shore pines, and amazing carnivorous sundews.
Petersburg was a fascinating fishing town, with hundreds of fishing boats lining the harbor. Several people took a city tour. There were several fish packing plants with workers going in and out. The city displayed its Norwegian heritage, with a Viking ship and Norwegian folk designs on buildings and sidewalks. The main street had several shops for the local population, although there were a few gift and art shops scattered around the town. During dinner, the Sea Bird left Petersburg harbor and cruised north up Frederick Sound. Another fantastic day in Southeast Alaska has ended.
